Screen Play

Full Screen Play

Costume Planning

After researching into costumes we have decided that Maddison will be dressed in a white dress. She will also wear a red ribbon in her hear which will also be used as a prop in the film. The white dress implies the innocence we want Maddison to be made out to be as a young girl but the red ribbon will conotate danger is surrounded by the girl.

Scarlett will be wearing simple every day clothing in dark colours such as jeans and a t-shirt. We want her character to be seen as your everyday teen girl, and who you would suspect to be nothing extra-ordinary. 

Dr.Lewis will be wearing smart trousers with a shirt and tie to suggest his job status.

Costume Research

Why are costumes so important?

• Usually antagonists wear the same outfit throughout the film and then that particular costume is realted to that charcter.
• The costume creates the representation of a character; so how you as the audience view them.
• Gives you a sense of what time period the film is set in
• Suggests what of previously happened to them in the film; for example rips or blood on the costume.
• An idea of their social status (rich/poor etc..)

Ananlyse of the costume the girl is wearing in the Exorcist

The little girl is seen wearing a white night gown. The colour white is usually used to connotate innocence and purity. Children are usually seen as being innocent, so it supports this. However it is contrasting to the fact that the little girl being the antagonist. The antagonist is usually the one that causes the trouble and is the main focus or point of a horror film; so they are not really seen as being 'innocent'. There is also blood at the bottom of the girls gown. Blood being red connotates danger and pain. This being on the white gown could suggest the innocence is being taking away from the girl.

Ideas for Maddison's Costume:

Prop Research

In Orphan Esther uses a hammer to kill one of the charcters. As seen here:


A hammer is usually seen as being something distuctive. Usually used in building. Using it to kill someone as a prop gives you that sense of danger and brutal death. The hammer is seen as being more scary as you see it alone in shots from low angles making it seem more intimidating and controlling. Becuase the hammer is seen as a distructive object it suggests that she is destroying her.

In the final scene Ester tries killing of more characters. In this scene a knife and gun is used.



The knife is again shown in its own shot from a low angle as if its the point of view that the person who is being attacked can see. The knife has blood on again producing more fear to the audience; because one the colour red suggests danger and it being blood gives the feeling that someone has been stabbed by it.

Developing Ideas Maddison Poster

Questionnaire

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fQbrdl8wH3yZh98L2kYtxzD1FZDNfzZ4WofbeVXPY1Y/viewform

Storyboarding Maddison

We have done an initial storyboard for our horror opening sequence 'Maddison'. Here is an animatic of the storyboard with the music we plan to use.

Horror Genre

Media Institutions

A media institution is an established, and often profit based organization, that deals in the creation and distribution of advertising, entertainment and information services. It helps in gathering information, and perceptions about different groups of people and their originality.

These are all examples of conglomerates. Conglomerates are the combination of two or more companies of different types, usually involving a parents company and subsidiaries.

Cross Media ownership is when one company owns media outlets from different types of media. For example News Corporation owns tv companies such as Sky.

Companies are merging together and there our some criticisms to this such as:

• media conglomerates dominate media industry
• accused of being  bias in news reporting
• globalisation of popular culture
• reduces diversity in ownership & production
• reduces competition between companies 

Developing Ideas Photos of Maddison

To show some refinement to our ideas and to support our pitch I took some pre-production photos of Maddison.

Synopsis

Our opening sequence horror film for our as media is going to be called 'Maddison'. We have chosen for our sub-genre to be psychological. The whole film is about a girl in her teens who is seeing this little girl; called Maddison. We are playing on the fact of people having an imaginary friend. In this case the teen girl seeing her goes mad and wakes up in a mental hospital as she is the only one that sees Maddison, and feels like she's hurting her family, but in actual fact the teen girl is doing everything. The film starts with the opening titles (which we are filming) where flashbacks are shown of when the teen girl has seen Maddison. They build up and are going to be edited faster and faster with music to accompany it. To a flash of light where you see the girl wake up in the hospital. During the rest of the film you see the teen girl in the hospital going back to flashes of the past as the teen learns about how she got there and her continuing to see Maddison.

So far this is all we have developed on the basic idea of our film and opening titles.

A more detailed Synopsis written by Rebeka in my group can be found here:
http://rebekaluzasportfolio.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/maddison-synopsis.html

Developing Planning For Horror Opening Sequence

Initial Mood Board of our chosen sub-genre Physiological Horror. This was the beginning of our thoughts and ideas for the plot to our film.

Sound Track idea to use in our opening sequence. We like how it builds up the tension and plays on building up your fear as you think something is about to happen.

Location Ideas

Here is a small YouTube video explaining about one idea for a location for out horror opening sequence. With a tour of the location and why it will work well..

Movie Classifications

In lesson we looked at film classifications. Looking at these classifications means that when we do our horror opening sequence we can pick a classification that is suitable. I have created a prezi on what I learnt.

Maddison: Horror Film Opening Sequence Pitch

For our final AS media horror opening sequence we had to do a pitch with our starting ideas for our plot. Me and Rebeka in my group created the prezi together and shared the pitch out between us. I was loosing my voice so didn't contribute much to the speaking! However when doing my next pitch I would like to make better planned hint cards; to make sure we include everything we want to.
 

Inspiration

I found a production of a different type of play and when watching a video about it,  inspired me for my horror media opening.

<Taken from  http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk> 

The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable

The award-winning Punchdrunk stage their biggest and most ambitious production yet. The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fableis an extraordinary theatrical adventure: a unique personal journey which unfolds across four levels of a vast central London location.

Basically it is an interactive play in which you explore the set and are part of the play. For example on this almost 'tour' you explore the play in a variety of ways and are in separate groups to other people there aswell. You can enter dark rooms and it plays on your mind to scare you and surprise you.

Here is a Video of part of what happens published on YouTube by PunchDrunk:

Practicing Filming

We made a short video which we had to come up with the concept in only a few minutes to practice various skills learnt so far in media. I done the filming and Rebeka in the group directed. So by doing this task I refined my filming skills and setting up the camera to the shots I wanted. It also meant that we could have the chance to improve our skills in working as a group. This version was edited by Jess in our group:

Analysing Horror Opening Titles

Today in lesson we were asked to Analyse horror opening titles. By looking at other horror opening titles it will inspire ideas for my final task and help me understand what works well and why. Also what I like and why.

My First Analyse-

In the opening titles to Seven you don't see any clear setting. However from the props used and what happens throughout the titles you can assume it is set somewhere inside a room, enclosed in a study/office. This could either be a set or location. The setting on its own wouldn't tell you about the genre itself.

The props used in the opening titles are things such as blades, books and scissors. The use of sharp objects that usually suggest something bad. They suggest pain and harm. This starts to suggest the genre is horror.

The lighting is low key and artificial. Shadows are used on the book and in the titles to create tension, as it is the fear of the unknown. Shadows are just of a figure, you can only guess what or who it is. You don't know what the character looks like or who it is. You are kept in the dark, creating the sense of fear. For example you get flashes of red light. This colour is usually used to suggest danger. The shadows and lighting also highlights parts of the book that they want you to see, creating mystery.

The only movement you see in the titles is the arm of the character. This is quite 'normal'. However it is added together with fast editing. This shows a big contrast, creating tension and building suspense. 

My Second Analyse- 

My Third Analyse:

The opening titles to Insidious are set in a house, the opening scene is in a child’s bedroom.  It looks as if the setting was a location picked by the production company rather than a built set for the purpose of the film. The setting is probably considered a ‘normal’ family home. So this it’s self doesn't really imply the genre.

 However other things such as the way it has been filmed, combined with lighting can completely change the perception of the setting, and create the sense of the horror genre. Many props have been used in these opening titles as they have had to set up the whole setting of the house especially all the little details to the child’s bedroom in the opening shot. All the things in the child’s room are typical conventions to what you would expect to be in a young boy’s room, for example the lava lamp.

The main thing that makes the opening titles or in actual fact all horror films, is the lighting and colours used. In the opening titles of Insidious the lighting is low key and the colour red is frequently seen for the titles. The colour red is a colour known for implying danger. So when u see the text in red, you get the feeling that it is a scary/dangerous situation. 

The editing of the film helps to build up fear, and tension. The names of directors for example are presented quite slowly. And fade in or out, creating a ghostly effect. However when the actual Insidious title appears, its very quick and edited in quickly to the previous shot to try make you jump; scare you.

Another main aspect to all films and titles; is the sound. The sound at the start of the titles is quite quite and very tense. The sounds are quite sharp. The sound starts to build up towards the actual title of the film, however just before it goes quite again. Before when the titles actually appear and sound gets louder and sharper again to make you jump, scare you. as you are not suppose to expect it.

The composition of the first shot of the light, had it placed right in the middle. This led your eye straight to it. If it had been at the side of the shot then it would't have been so effective. It then tilts to the boys bedroom, where you are at the end of the bed. Creates the feeling with the pans and tilts like you are there, walking through. And watching. This creates more fear because it feels more personal to you.



In my first couple of analysis of horror movie opening titles I have noticed that the titles are all very abstract. You can’t really analysis the setting too much for example because you aren’t really shown this. This has inspired me to investigate into horror titles that show more of a setting and a clear opening/link to the film. Therefore after researching into different types of horrors I found the film ‘Insidious’ in this film you are shown the setting to begin with, but in a clever way. This is why I have chosen to analyse this.

Preliminary Task & Evaluation

Here is our Preliminary Task video:

Evaluation of Preliminary Task:

Change in Location

Because of a problem with not being able to access the dance studio when we wanted to film our location unfortunately had to change so here are the pictures of our new location which we used for filming. We didn't plan when we were going to film so everything was done last minute that created this problem of not being to film where we wanted. However luckily the front of our theatre at school which was right next to the original location we found are new location which was very similar. When planning and filming my final film piece I need to make sure that we film where my group wants, to do get the desired effect to the film. When planning we should organise dates and locations between each other to make sure that the project runs smoothly.

Prelimiminary Task Planning Contiued

Shooting Schedule

All shots with Sam (Male Actor) need to be shot first as he is only available for a short while, for filming.

o   Medium shot of both characters standing and meeting each other with dialogue and hug

o   Point of view shot from girls (Lucy’s) view with boy (Sam) saying all his dialogue needed for the shot reverse shots.

o   Point of view shots from boy’s (Sam’s) view with all the girls (Lucy’s) dialogue needed. Making sure your keeping to the 180 degree rule.

o   Zoom of boy’s (Sam’s) face when he sees the girl (Lucy) walk through the door

o   Close-up from behind girl’s (Lucy’s) shoes entering the door

o   Inside front view of girl’s (Lucy’s) shoes entering the door (these two shots will be edited together to show an understanding of match on action

o   Tracking shot of girl’s (Lucy’s) shoes walking across the room to the table

o   Close-up of girls (Lucy’s) mouth smiling

Script

Lucy and Sam perform a blind date. Lucy's character is arriving late to the blind date by walking in the room and approaching Sam's table. The scene is quite awkward as they greet each other.

Sam: Hello!

Lucy: Hi.

(they hug and sat down, camera angle changes from medium shot to 180-degree rule shots of them talking)

Sam: So...how are you? (shyly)

Lucy: I'm fine. You? (coldly)

Sam: Fine...(smiling awkwadly)

Lucy: Cool...(says without interest)

(video fades)

Diagrams of Shots

Screen Grabs From Editing



Preliminary Task

Our preliminary task Is a continuity task where you have to film and edit:

• a character opening a door
• crossing a room
• sitting down in a chair opposite another character
• they must then exchange a couple of lines of dialogue

The task should also demonstrate:

• Match on Action- action that continues through multiple shots
• Shot/Reverse Shot- when you film from both peoples perspectives (angles)
• 180 Degree Rule   
  
  

Coming up with a concept.....

Looking at others past Preliminary Tasks

Things to remember In my Preliminary Task

• Sound Bridges
• Type of Transitions
• Continuity
• Sound (use of microphones/voiceovers)
• Good Editing
• Mise En Scene
• Being on the right side of shot
• Keeping to all the requirements

Planning of our Preliminary Task

Location

What factors do you need to consider when selecting a location?

...and why is it so important?

• Does it portray your film the way you want it to be portrayed?
• Weather
• Time of Day
• HEALTH AND SAFETY
• Space
• Permission

Location is important so that you can set the mood for your film. It has to fit in- and not just be some random place.

Terminology

Representation- the way the media RE-PRESENT individuals, groups, events and issues

Stereotype- media institutions use stereotypes because the audience will instantly understand them. They're repeated so often that we assume they are normal or 'true'. They are a 'visual short-cut'.

Archetype- the 'ultimate' stereotype. Taken to the extreme.

Countertype- a representation that challenges traditional stereotypical associations of groups, people or places.

Mean Girls - Mise En Scene Analysis

 For homework we were asked to analyse the Mise en Scene from two scenes in mean girls.

Here is my analysis...

After reading feedback from my teacher I realise that I need to focus on writing a more detailed analysis to show that I fully understand.

Sound

In lesson we learnt about different types of sound and how sound helps make a film. This will be helpful to apply to the tasks we do in our media course because sound plays a big part in how an audience feels when watching supporting the visual filming. It can change the whole concept of the way you view something.



 For example on YouTube I found a version of Willy Wonka the movie that with recuts and sound changes it changes the whole genre of the movie to a horror.

This is the original trailer:



And this is someone's remake of it as a horror. I think the sound is what makes the most dramatic change to the concept of the genre changing:

Golden Rules on Creating My Blog

Referring to an examiners report on as media blogs on what previous candidates have done I have come up with 'Golden Rules' for what I should and shouldn't do on my blog, to increase my chances of getting a higher grade. I created a poster to keep in my media folder so I could refer back to it throughout the course.

Mise en Scene

Here is a short video to show you my understanding of mise en scene. With my understanding of mise en scene I can now apply this to my planning of my preliminary task and final as media horror film opening sequence.

Genres and Audience

Genres

A Genre Is a categories of different texts. In film it is obviously categories of films.

For Example:

• Horror
• Comedy
• Science Fiction
• Fantasy
• Romance
• Drama
• Action
• War

Along with these genres we have codes and conventions.

Codes are systems of signs which create meaning. Technical codes is when the equipment is used to tell the story. Symbolic codes are what are beneath the surface of the film.

Conventions are accepted ways of doing something; in other words in film it's what you expect to be included.

Audience

An audience is a group of people who engage in media texts.

Mass Audience- these are popular texts such as soaps.

Niche Audience- these are small, select groups of people with a unique interest.

Categories based on social class/grade

1. Group A- these are well paid professionals such as doctors.
2. Group B- these are fairly well paid professionals such as teachers. 
3. Group C1- these are the 'white collar' professions such as nurses.
4. Group C2- 'blue collar' professions such as plumbers.
5. Group D- manual workers such as drivers.
6. Group E- these are people such as: students, the unemployed and pensioners.

We measure media audiences by looking at: sales, subscriptions, ratings and figures.

What is NRS?

National Readership Survey provides the most valued audience research in use for print advertising trading in the UK.

Looking at audiences

Quantitative Research- for example questionnaires

Qualitative Research- for example interviews 

Camera Angles

I have created a short YouTube video on camera angles. Building up my knowledge for when we start filming and planning to know what type of shots I want to use with the proper names so when in groups everyone understands. In the video I have used a variety of photos and short video clips put together of my dog to demonstrate my understanding of each camera angles.

 

  Explanation of the Camera Angles:

Extreme Long Shot- This is a scene setting shot. It shows lots and at a big distance. For example a shot of a city to show that where the film is set before the film starts.

Long Shot- Otherwise known as the full shot. In this shot you can always see the entire body of the character/s.

Medium Shot- Shows a character from the knees or waist up. This shot is mainly used for dialogue.

Close-Up- Contains very little background and concentrates on the face or maybe detail in the scene.

Extreme Close-Up- Magnifies object in the shot beyond how it is usually seen. Close-ups are most commonly of the mouth or eyes.

Bird's Eye View- Scene from over head (how a bird would view it). It is used to make the audience feel like they are in a powerful position or look small.

High Angle- This is from above the action. It gives the audience a general overview of what is happening.

Eye Level- The camera is positioned as though it is a human observing the scene.

Low Angle- From below the action. Used to make characters look taller is they are short. Creates the sense that the character is powerful and makes them seem more intimidating compared to if an eye level or high angle shot was used.

Canted Angle- The camera is titled; rather than level. This can be used to suggest imbalance or instability.

Pans- Usually fixed to a tripod and the camera is moved sideways for example left to right.

Tilts- This is when the camera scans an object from top to bottom or vise versa.

Tracking Shot- In professional film making the camera is usually placed on a moving vehicle and moves alongside the action. It follows either a moving character or object.

Zoom Lenses- Camera zooms in; to focus on an object or detail in scene. On the other hand it could zoom out from the action/detail.