Filming on location - Safety

PUBLIC FOOTPATH - ACT 1, SCENE 1

Difficulties we encountered- The path was very wet, and contained a lot of dead, autumn leaves, and in order for the shot to work accordingly, we had to remove these. We were also quite short of time, and we were pressured to film the day scene, before it got too dark.

COLLEGE TOILETS - ACT 2, SCENE 2

Difficulties we encountered - The only problems which we encountered whilst filming in the toilet were the woman who came into the location whilst filming, which delayed our filming time, and the confined space, making it difficult to film long shots.

CANTEEN SCENE: ACT 2, SCENE 1

Difficulties we encountered- Through the duration of filming the canteen, the most difficult issue which we dealt with was the noice in the background. Although we wanted the scene to be realistic, and consist of some noise, we didn't want it to be too loud, so that the cast would not be heard. Therefore, we asked the students in the canteen to be respectfully quiet whilst we filmed, and they happily obliged.

POND SCENE: ACT 2, SCENE 3

Difficulties we encountered -The banking was very steep, and difficult to maneuver the tripod and camera on, as they were unlevel, damp and muddy. Therefore we had to be careful not to let the tripod sink into the ground. Also, the rafts which we filmed the character Ruby on, were very small, and therefore not only was it difficult to film the close up shots of her, but also was dangerous for both the cast and crew, as they were so small, and so close to the pond, therefore we all took extra care in handling the equipment, and making sure everyone filmed sensibly.

Music Research

In order for the film to be as effective to the audience as it can be, I decided to research thriller film music, as music plays a huge part in the continuity of a film: it is used in ours to build tension, and suspense. But we also need music to explore characters feelings and emotions.
This first track which I found is particularly effective in creating suspense and tension:

The music is appropriate for the genre, but will also be more attracted to our target audience of teenagers. A similar non diagetic music track could be used in the opening of the film, where the protagonist is stood at the bus stop, as I think it will fit in perfect syncronisation with the fast past editing. As the track progresses, the major key volume of the music then increases, to sudden pangs, this is interesting as it suggests that the action in the music is building up, and it increases the heartrate. We need a similar soundtrack in our film, as we want the audience to feel the characters emotions, but also if the music increases the audience's heartrate, then it is succesful in engaging them to the film.

Script- Final Re-Write

This is the final re-write of our script, we think that now we have an effective narrative that will appeal to our target audience.

Act 1 Scene 1
EXT. COLLEGE FOOTPATH – NIGHT
An unidentified girl is seen walking down a footpath, she hangs a unique looking necklace on the stump of a tree and slowly walks away.

Act 1 Scene 2 EXT. BUS STOP - DAY Ruby Fox is seen standing near a bus stop. The world around her moves on while she is left isolated and alone. The scene ends with her getting on a bus to college.

Act 1 Scene 3
EXT. COLLEGE FOOTPATH – DAY
Ruby Fox is walking down the footpath; she is listening to her iPod. As she walks further down the path she notices a glistening object caught in the trees.
Intrigued she walks towards the object that is now revealed to be a necklace. Ruby removes it from the tree, examines it and then places it in her bag.

Act 1 Scene 4
INT. COLLEGE – DAY
Ruby walks towards the college entrance, at the doors she seems uncomfortable but enters anyway. Inside she wanders around college; eventually she stops and sits down.


Act 1 Scene 5 (Flashback)
INT. COLLEGE – DAY
Ruby begins to walk upstairs but is confronted by two bullies.
BULLY 1
Rubbbyyy
Ruby ignores the taunt and carries on upstairs.
DANIEL COOPER
OI, she was talking to you! (Blocks Ruby’s Path)
BULLY 1
Yeah, whats up you deaf or summat? (Pushes Ruby into Bannister)
RUBY FOX
Upset - Just leave me alone (Pushes passed Daniel)

Daniel trips Ruby, Grabs her and angrily pushes her against the wall.
DANIEL COOPER
Don’t you ever talk to me like that again (Disgusted) - you’re nothing.

He lets go of Ruby and he and his friend walk away laughing down the corridor.
Ruby now alone, slides to the floor and begins to cry. The story moves back into the present.
(Present) Ruby wipes tears from her face and begins to look in her bag for a tissue, as she does she finds the necklace. She examines it intently and puts it on. Ruby then remembers the time and rushes to meet her friend.



Act 2 Scene 1
INT. COLLEGE CANTEEN - DAY
An un-named girl is sat alone at a table in the canteen, Ruby enters hurriedly.

RUBY FOX
Hey Em', so sorry I'm late, how are you?

Emma doesnt reply.

RUBY FOX
Em'?, Em'? - why are you ignoring me?

Emma's phone beeps, she answers it

RUBY FOX
If you're just going to text someone else, Im not going to bother!

Ruby Gets up to leave, Daniel Cooper enters.

DANIEL COOPER
Hey babe

RUBY FOX
(Shocked) Emma how could, how could you do this to me! You're supposed to be my best friend.

Ruby runs out upset.

Act 2 Scene 2

INT. COLLEGE TOILETS – DAY
Ruby looks at her reflection in the mirror.
RUBY
What is happening to me? Why can no-body see me!
Ruby raises her hand to her face and slowly watches her reflection disappear. In shock, she moves her hand down to touch the necklace- slowly she lifts it around her head and is amazed to see her reflection re-appear.
RUBY
Oh my god, the necklace!
With a new sense of determination Ruby grips the necklace tightly in her hand.

Act 2 Scene 3
EXT. POND – DAY
Ruby is stood alone at the side of a large pond, holding the necklace out over the edge. Slowly she lets it fall into the water. Relieved she watches the necklace sink into the water.
FADES TO BLACK

Photo Storyboard

Shot List- EDIT

(Click to enlarge/Click to zoom in)

After re-drafting our story idea and re-writing our script we re-planned the shots that we are going to use in our film. This is the shot list I completed after our new idea.

Shadow Script- Re Drafted

Act 1 Scene 1
EXT. COLLEGE FOOTPATH – NIGHT
An unidentified girl is seen walking down a footpath, she hangs a unique looking necklace on the stump of a tree and slowly walks away.

Act 1 Scene 2 EXT. BUS STOP - DAY Ruby Fox is seen standing near a bus stop. The world around her moves on while she is left isolated and alone. The scene ends with her getting on a bus to college.

Act 1 Scene 3
EXT. COLLEGE FOOTPATH – DAY
Ruby Fox is walking down the footpath; she is listening to her iPod. As she walks further down the path she notices a glistening object caught in the trees.
Intrigued she walks towards the object that is now revealed to be a necklace. Ruby removes it from the tree, examines it and then places it in her bag.

Act 1 Scene 4
INT. COLLEGE – DAY
Ruby walks towards the college entrance, at the doors she seems uncomfortable but enters anyway. Inside she wanders around college; eventually she stops and sits down.


Act 1 Scene 5 (Flashback)
INT. COLLEGE – DAY
Ruby begins to walk upstairs but is confronted by two bullies.
BULLY 1
Rubbbyyy
Ruby ignores the taunt and carries on upstairs.
DANIEL COOPER
OI, she was talking to you! (Blocks Ruby’s Path)
BULLY 1
Yeah, whats up you deaf or summat? (Pushes Ruby into Bannister)
RUBY FOX
Upset - Just leave me alone (Pushes passed Daniel)

Daniel trips Ruby, Grabs her and angrily pushes her against the wall.
DANIEL COOPER
Don’t you ever talk to me like that again (Disgusted) - you’re nothing.

He lets go of Ruby and he and his friend walk away laughing down the corridor.
Ruby now alone, slides to the floor and begins to cry. The story moves back into the present.
(Present) Ruby wipes tears from her face and begins to look in her bag for a tissue, as she does she finds the necklace. She examines it intently and puts it on. Ruby then remembers the time and rushes to meet her friend.



Act 1 Scene 6
INT. COLLEGE CANTEEN - DAY
An un-named girl is sat alone at a table in the canteen, Ruby enters hurriedly.

RUBY FOX
Hey Em', so sorry I'm late, how are you?

Emma doesnt reply.

RUBY FOX
Em'?, Em'? - why are you ignoring me?

Emma's phone rings, she answers it

RUBY FOX
Why is my mum ringing you?

EMMA
Hello Angela, No I havent seen her either today. I'm getting quite worried about her now aswell. Ok Thanks, Bye.

Emma gets up and leaves, leaving Ruby alone and confused.

Act 2 Scene 1
INT. COLLEGE CORRIDOR - DAY
Ruby walks down the stairs and finds Emma sat alone on the floor, she is talking on the phone.

EMMA
(Laughs) Yeah, hahah - god I can't believe how much she irritates me.

Ruby walks over and crouches down beside her.

RUBY FOX
Em', who are you talking to?

EMMA
Yeah, she thinks im her friend- little does she know.

RUBY FOX
Em' whatever I've done to annoy you I'm really sorry!

EMMA
Ok, I'm at the bottom of the stairs, see you in a minute. Bye.

Both of the girls stand up.

RUBY FOX
(Angriy) Emma! Tell me, who are you meeting!

The girl, seen earlier bullying Ruby enters.

BULLY 2
Hey we off then?

Ruby distraught by seeing her best friend meeting up with the bully, runs into the nearby toilets.

Act 2 Scene 2
INT. COLLEGE TOILETS – DAY
Ruby looks at her reflection in the mirror.
RUBY
What is happening to me? Why can no-body see me!
Ruby raises her hand to her face and slowly watches her reflection disappear. In shock, she moves her hand down to touch the necklace- slowly she lifts it around her head and is amazed to see her reflection re-appear.
RUBY
Oh my god, the necklace!
With a new sense of determination Ruby grips the necklace tightly in her hand.

Act 2 Scene 3
EXT. POND – DAY
Ruby is stood alone at the side of a large pond, holding the necklace out over the edge. Slowly she lets it fall into the water. Relieved she watches the necklace sink into the water.
FADES TO BLACK

Call Sheet - Further Filming Shedule

After rewriting the script to add a few more effective scenes, I decided to continue writing the call sheet via the medium of Google Calender, as it is the most efficient way to contact everyone, and it enables us to be organised as a production team. All cast, crew and director should be present on the following days to complete the filming process;

Please click images to enlarge.

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It is imperative that all the production team are present at each of the alocated days, as the filming can then be completed by the end of December, and we are then able to spend January cutting and editing the film together. The film is due to be completed in February.

Costume Replan - On Actor

After redeveloping the sketched of the initial final design for Ruby Fox, I found the outfit which would be suitable for her to wear. Here is a short video of the protagonist in her costume:



As you can see from the previous costume design, I have kept the red and pink cardigan, as it is both suitable for the weather, but the red of the jumper connotes anger, and danger. This could represent how the protagonist feels about the world, as she feels lonely, and isolated due to the issue of bullying. The red jumper also has a rough element to it, as it it looks quite rugged. This denotes that she is going through a rough stage in her life, and that the effort that she used to put in her clothes, has disappeared; symblising that she has lost her hope.
The dress is much more efficient for the winter weather, as it it long sleeved, and it of a velvet fabric, which is warmer than the previous boob-tube fitted cotton maxi dress - appropriate for the summer season. The velvet makes the outfit stand out, as it is vibrant, and has a shine. The dress mid-long, as it doesn't show much skin, showing how the character perhaps hides behind her clothes. The character should then wear flat shoes, with thick tights to remain warm during outdoor filming, but also to prevent her skin from being shown on her legs.
Overall, I am pleased with the redevelopment of the costume, as it is more comfortable for the character to wear, more efficient for shooting the film in, but also is unique in the sense that not many people have these particular clothes.

Narrative Theory

After choosing a treatment for our film, we must now decide upon the narrative of the film. I looked at Tzvetan Todorov’s theory of narratives having five stages and tried to build a narrative based around this theory. Here is a breakdown of how our film should be:

Stage 1 – A state of equilibrium is defined.

• We plan to do this with a long shot of the protagonist at the bus stop, waiting to go to college. It should be edited using final cut express, and fast paced editing. This gives the sense that the character neutral with the person that she is. She is neither happy, as she is currently tackling the issue of bullying, but she is not sad, as she is confident with the person that she is, she is just misunderstood.
• By doing this we are hoping that the audience understand that the character feels alone

Stage 2 – Disruption to the equilibrium by some action or crisis.

• We're hoping to achieve this by shooting the protagonist finding the necklace on a tree, and placing it around her neck, whilst non-diagetic music is playing to add tension
• This should show that the necklace is a dangerous object, that should not be meddled with, and therefore they will hopefully engage with the darker tones of the music.

Stage 3 – The character(s) recognition that there has been a disruption, setting goals to resolve the problem.

• This should be presented through the protagonists flashback, after she recalls her bullying period, and tried to restore her faith in herself, by speaking to her friend. It is then revealed to the audience that the main character Ruby Fox's friend, is actually one of the bullies herself. She feels betrayed, and runs away to try and gather her emotions.
• We feel that this scene should be one of the most dramatic, and tension building, as it the moment of realisation for the protagonist, but also for the audience too.

Stage 4 - The characters attempt to repair the disruption, obstacles need to be overcome to restore order.

• After the disruption in the narrative of the film, the protagonist runs to the toilets, where it is revealed in the mirror that she herself is invisible. After this realisation, she rips the necklace off her, and leaves immediately to dispose of it.
• Although initially the character mentally feels invisible to the world, the realisation that she is physically invisible turns her life around, and powers her with the motivation to turn her life around.

Stage 5 – Reinstatement to the equilibrium. Situation is resolved, conclusion is announced.

• We wish to challenge this convention, as although we wish the audience to feel happy when the character finally disposes the necklace, being metaphorical for her throwing away her sadness, and her oppression, we want the film to have a loop, which links the beginning and the ending together. Therefore in the opening, we should present a character perhaps placing the necklace upon the tree, for the character to find it. This not only adds tension, but insights the audience into knowledge which the protagonist does not contain.
• We want the audience to feel shocked, and mellow at the end of the film, thinking about who will find the necklace again.

Vladimir Propp identified 8 character roles which apply to all kinds of narratives. The three character roles which apply to our short film are as follows;

Daniel Cooper (played by Jonathon Beeley)
Under Propp's theory, Daniel Cooper would be the villain of the film, as he disrupts the equilibrium, and bullies the protagonist. The audience should feel resentful towards the character, and sympathy with Ruby Fox

Ruby Fox (played by Emma Mitchell)
In accordance with Propp's theory, Ruby Fox is the hero of the narrative. She takes the audience on a journey of self discover, an belief. She also represents the themes truth and illusion, and is able to show the audience that you shouldn't always believe what you are being told, as you aren't able to trust everyone.

Unidentified Girl (played by Giorgina Parker)
This is the donor of the narrative, who provides an object with some magic property. It could be argued that perhaps she is the key to the whole film, as she provides the narrative with a twist, which is used to engage, and add tension to the film.

Film Risk Assessment Replan

After rescheduling the filming process, and changing the scenes and locations, it was primitive to recreate the risk assessment to ensure that everything was accurate, and the cast, crew and director would be completely safe whilst filming. Here is the risk assessment, please click to enlarge the picture;

Music, Sounds and Effects

Music will play a vital part in our film, therefore we need to get the right pieces in order to set the right mood and atmosphere, we need music for the following scenes:

-Opening, (Unidentified girl on footpath, Credits)

- Ruby walking to college/Finding necklace

- Ending- (Ruby throwing the necklace off of a bridge)

I am going to try and find separate pieces for each scene as I feel it would give the film more substance and feeling. However it could be possible to use the same track for the opening and closing scenes as it would link the two together. I will use the sites-

www.youtube.com

www.jamendo.com

and the college CD collection to find suitable tracks for these scenes.

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Our film doesn't require a lot of sound effects, there are only a few places that I may use one for.

These are:

- Ruby's final disappearance

- Ruby's phone call/alarm

- The necklace snapping

- The necklace hitting the water

I am going to use the effects available in the editing programme Final Cut Express or record the sounds on a zoom recorder, this will make them more prominent and effective in the film.

Shadow - Re Plan

After starting our filming, we have decided to re-write our script and change how the storyline of our short film is shown. We have replaced a few weaker scenes in our film and decided to use a few more complicated and creative shots. We have decided to cut the following characters; - College Tutor - Ruby Fox's mother and father We found that the characters were not longer suitable for the narrative film, and therefore the costume design for the following characters are also no longer of importance.

Costume Replan - Sketch

After deciding that the script needed changing, in order to make the film more exciting, and interesting for the audience, I have decided to change the costume design for the protagonist. I believe that the costume design featured earlier on the actress, isn't appropriate fr the winter weather, or her personality. Although I want to portray the characters fiery personality through her costume design, it has to be appropriate for the weather, as it is imperative that the film is as realistic as possible. Therefore, I re-sketched the design, to how it should be for the winter weather, but to also reflect her personality, and make her stand out.

Here is the sketch which I have redeveloped:

The new costume design consists of:

• Woolen Red/Orange Jumper - The colour red connotes danger, suggesting that the character has an active roll in the drama of the film, but also represents fire, reflecting her heated emotions, and showing the she is perhaps not as innocent as she appears.


• Burgundy Velvet Dress - This should be preferably long sleeved to reserve heat for filming in, particularly in outdoor scenes, but also should be a maxi dress, so that barely any flesh is showing on the character. This represents that she is a reserved person, perhaps trying to hide herself through the clothes which she wears. Furthermore the velvet is a rare fabric, and not worn very often in the present day, therefore is also presents her unusual eccentric style.


• Pink Ballet Shoes - These are both practical and comfortable, but also suitable to match the outfit. The pastel colours presented through her costume show how she is an innocent girl, with a kind heart, and the red represents her anger from her oppression from the world. The shoes are also suitable for outdoor activity in for walking in.

Overall, I am happy with the redesign of the costume, and I feel that it will be more appropriate for the certification of the film, the target audience, and effective in representing the characters emotions.

Shadow Film - Live Pitch

Final Costume Design - On Actors

These are the final costume designs which we will be using on the actors during the film. The research into costume, and initial sketches helped the costume design to be developed into an idealistic design. The following videos present each character in their costume design.
Unidentified Girl


Click to play

Ruby Fox


Click to play

Daniel Cooper


Click to play

Shot List

Click to Enlarge

Click to Zoom

Final Props: Explanation

Today I Have put together a final prop list for our production. The props we have chosen to use are all relevant to our film and each have a significant use/meaning:

Enchanted Necklace

This is the main prop for our film, it is the central piece of the whole storyline and the plot wouldn't make sense without it. The Necklace will be used in nearly every scene of the film.
Overview:

Ruby finds the necklace hanging from a tree near college, intrigued and enchanted by it she removes it and takes it with her. Later in the day she puts on the necklace and unusual things starts to happen, she is ignored by her friends and other in and around college. Eventually Ruby realises that the necklace is wiping her from existence and therefore removes the necklace and throws it away.

Description:

Its is a black rectangular onyx stone necklace, on black elastic. It was originally on a black rope but we removed it and replaced it with elastic due to its flexibility and durability.

(The several props listed below don't really have any significant purpose in the film other than scene setting and making the film seem more realistic.)

Ruby's College Bag

As Ruby is supposed to be a college student she will therefore require a college bag to carry her books in. The bag has been written in as part of her costumer as we feel it adds to her character profile but also makes her appear to be a more realistic student.

Description

Ruby's school bag is a large brown leather bag, with a gold buckle and long shoulder strap.

Ruby's I-pod

Again as Ruby is supposed to be a modern day student it is believable that she would own an i-pod and be listening to it on her way to college. As before it adds to her character making her more realistic.

Description

Purple I-pod nano, with long white earphones.

Emma's Phone

Emma is also a modern day college student and therefore uses her phone a lot, we added the phone as a prop in the penultimate scene as it helps to reveal the films plot twist.

Description

Black blackberry phone in a purple case.

Prop List + Photos

Prop List:

- Necklace

- Ruby's Ipod

- Ruby's School Bag

- Mirror

Unique Selling Points (USP)

A unique selling point is a marketing concept that makes unique appeals to to a viewer in order to attract theyre interest.

In this post i am going to identify the unique selling points in films that have got clear unique features in them e.g plotlines that there is nothing similar to, a score of music specially attributed to the film, possibly even a specific actor who makes the film what it is or if a film is derived from a book, as this means it may already have interest before it even begins production.

For example, a unique selling point of 1951 film 'A streetcar names desire' was the casting of famed actor Marlon Brando, who was unique at the time due to him being relatively unknown and under-rated before this film and his tight t-shirts which at the time were unheard of, it had to be specially made.

Another film with a usp is the Harry Potter saga. Being derived from an extremely popular series of books, having iconic actors in Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson cast as the three main charecters and of course the even more iconic plotline full of mystery and magic which the world had never experienced before Harry Potter came into fruition.

The unique selling point in our production is our plotline, the schoolgirl who finds a cursed necklace that makes her invisible, unbeknowing that it is slowly but surely wiping her existence from the universe. In our groups research we have found no similar plotline to our production, making this the unique selling point to our film.

Film Questionnaire

This is a video questionnaire we conducted in order to gain vital information about our film's audience.

Thriller Films Research

Storyboard (First Draft in rough)

Blogger Update

In order for us to be more organised as a production team, I have decided to incorporate a search bar onto our blog, which makes it easier t find existing posts, and to place our research and planning together.
The way in which digital media allows us to be more organised is really helpful for us, as it allows us to remain organised at all times, in an easy and efficient way.

Final Costume Design

I have previously researched costume design for the characters in the play, and the ideas constructed enabled me to create an appropriate design for every character. The sketches are a different design to the research, and this is because the sketches are a more developed, and finalised.
To further enhance the quality of what the garments may look like on the character, I have created the character's using Hero Machine 2.5 , and also designed there costumes via this website also.

RUBY FOX (PROTAGONIST)



The previous research for Ruby Fox consisted of extravagant, bright garments, which would represent Ruby's personality. However, within my sketches and online design, the costume has changed into a more vibrant shape, with padded shoulder's to enhance her edgy look, and also changed the colour to a powerful green, to denote her earthy nature. As you can see from the sketch, I have labelled her vintage high knee socks, shoulder pads, and elaborate belt. These are all key features of her exaggerated costume. In the online character I decided to change the outfit in a would that would suggest the character was more innocent. Therefore her white 3/4 top represents purity and innocence in her situation in the film, but her pink dungaree allows her outgoing personality to be portrayed.



UNIDENTIFIED GIRL




We have previously established that this particular character holds the key to the films narrative, and although I have previously researched her style and decided upon a plain black dress, I have altered the length of the dress, as a longer dress enables the character to be completely hidden from everyone else, which is symbolic of the necklace in the film stealing her identity and removing it from existence. The animated character, and sketch are both similar, and consist of the main features of the costume design.

DANIEL COOPER

The first bullies costume has not really altered from the original design. It still consists of a blue shirt, boot cut jeans. However, I have altered the characters shoes to Nike Skate shoes. From a modern audiences perspective, the brand Nike is associated in local culture, and therefore the teenage target market will be able to correspond with this, and relate to the film. As the character is dressed in a checked shirt (popular with the today's teenage boys), the character could be presented as coming from a good family background. This suggests to the audience that the boy could have mental issues, as he takes his aggression out on those less fortunate. The costume design is realistic, and also unique, as thugs of today are stereotypically presented wearing hoodies, and tracksuite bottoms.

Invisibility Films

Whilst researching the invisibility effect in thriller films, it came as a surprise that not many films consist of this theme. Although it is would attract a wide variety of audience members, and is an unusual and mysterious effect to have in a film, it is initially difficult to create the specific illusion in a realistic way. These is the top ten list of films which consist of the invisibility effect, and how they are used. From my in depth research into invisibility from existing films, I am able to confirm that the films title connotes the narrative, as almost all of the existing films have "invisibility", for the main title. Although our film's title is "Shadow", and does not connote invisibility, I believe this is more appropriate for the genre we have chosen, as it does not explain the plot before the audience have actually viewed the film. Furthermore, all of the existing productions consist of the theme of a formula for invisibility, whereby the character takes a form of a fluid or powder in order to become invisible, or the character is psychologically invisible. In Red Lizard Production's film, the character is made invisible by an object: a necklace. This immediately breaks the traditional manor of the effect, and therefore enables our film to be unique, and different.

Video Questionnaire

In order for our film to have a large audience, we must first interview a few members of our target audience, which will enable us as a production company to make our film successful.
After revealing the plot to the audience, we then asked them a series of questions in order to receive their opinions.

1. What is your opinion on the film's plot?

2. Do you believe the characters and storyline are realistic?


3. Could you relate to any of the characters?


4. What age range do you believe would be interested in watching this film?


5. Do you agree that this film should be a 12A?
(If not, please give your reason) ______________________


6. Do you feel that the film appropriately matches its genre?


7. Do you believe this film is aimed at a specific gender?


8. Where would you watch this film?
• The cinema
• At home
• Elsewhere
(please give details) _________________________


9. What other thriller films do you enjoy?


10. Which genre of thriller films do you enjoy the most?
• Fiction
• Mystery
• Crime
• Psychological
• Other
(If other please state) _________________________________


11. Which films do you believe are similar to ours?


12. Which type of music do you associate with thriller films?
Please give an example ___________________________



13. Do you believe the films narrative is appropriate for the certification?


14. Would you ever watch a short film?


15. Would you recommend this to a friend?

Film Risk Assessment

In order for the film to be shot safetly, I carried out a risk assesment to ensure that all of the issues which could occur whist filming, are not a danger to the cast, crew, and director. Here is the risk assesment, please click to enlarge the picture;

click to enlarge

Call Sheet - Filming Schedule

After discussing the days which we could film, I decided to create our call sheet through the medium of Google Calendar. The service is a convergence of the standard calendar and the Internet, to provide a service that is accessible from hundreds of devices and computers.

This enables us to stay organised throughout the planning stage, as we can plan our meetings and filming schedule easily, to make sure that there are no clashes with personal arrangements.

Here are some screen shots of the planning of the call sheet;

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(CLICK TO VIEW LARGE IMAGE)

Distribution Research

As our film is only a 5 minute short film it would not be distributed by a top name company such as Warner Bros or Summit Entertainment.

Dazzle are one of Britain's top short film labels, they are based in Hoxton London and are on of the main partners of the London Short Film Festival. They have quite a few shorts on the site http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/organisations/dazzle, including 'A fitting tribute', 'Heather' and 'Mother'. I feel that these would be an appropriate distributor for our film although they don't distribute many Short films that are shown on television.

Film 4 , I feel would be a brilliant distributor for our film. They are a label for many different types of short films- both internet broadcast and TV. Their short films are available at http://www.film4.com/videos/film4-shorts, they have distributed short films including 'Hallo Panda' , Terra Firma' and 'Dogs Mercury'. I feel that Film 4 would be the best distributor for our film as they would enable us to be broadcast in showroom cinems and also on TV as Film4 have their own TV channel.

BBC would also be a really good distributor for our film, they too have their own TV channel and website which is dedicated to short films- this is http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/organisations/bbc_films. BBC has distributed short films such as 'The Black Hole' , 'Alberts Speech' and 'This way up'.

Filming Schedule

We are now preparing to start filming, below is a basic filming schedule in order to help keep us on track:

-3rd October - Filming at Clare's House for the scene where Ruby returns home.

-12th October - College scenes in and around Barnsley College

-14th October - College scenes in and around Barnsley College, Continued

-15th October - Footpath Scene

-24th October - Bridge Scene

We are going to try and film everything within one month, this will therefore give us enough time to re-film and make any changes that may be required.

Location List

Location: Public Footpath and Bus Stop
Where is it: Barnsley College, Honeywell Site
When is it used:Act 1, Scene 1 , Scene 2, Scene 3



















Location: College Entrance, Toilets and Corridors
Where is it: Honeywell Building, Barnsley College, Barnsley
When is it used: Act 1, Scene 4, Scene 5, Scene 6 Act 2, Scene 2

















Location: Pond
Where is it: Wilthorpe, Barnsley
When is it used: Act 2, Scene 3



















(Photos are just examples - not actual locations)

Equipment Plan

As we will soon be filming our production I have made a plan of the equipment we are going to use:

FILMING

Camera: SONY HDV 1000

The Sony HDV 1000 camera will be the most effective camera for us to use as it has an innovative design which makes it more mobile and proffessional. It is easily adaptable and can therefore be used in many different environments. Also the camera is simple and easy to use and will therefore make filming a lot quicker and efficient.

Tri-Pod: SONY HDV 1000 Tri-Pod

We will obviously be using the tri-pod that matches the camera. This tri-pod has a simple and easy design and is therefore extremely efficient to use. It is also very mobile as it can be folded down and carried, which means it can be easily transported to all of our filming locations.

Camera: LUMIX 10 mpx Digital Camera

As we will require photographs of our costumes, props, locations and filiming we are going to use a digital camera to take these. The Lumix 10 mpx camera is very easy to use and the photos can be quickly transfered to computer via a USB cable. The camera has a wide range of effects including black and white, multishot and auto scene mode which may come in handy during our filming.

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EDITING

Editor: Sony HDV editor

We are going to use the Sony HDV editor in order to transfer our footage to MACs ready for editing, we can capture small chunks or all of our footage straight from these when they are connected by a firewire.

Computer/ Programme: MAC, Final Cut Express

MACs are extremely effective to use for editing our film, they have the programmes Final Cut Express installed which is an excellent programme for editing. It is very simple and easy to use and has a wide range of tools and effects that will help make our piece more proffessional.

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RADIO TRAILER

Recorder : Samson Portable Zoom Recorder

In order ro record the sound for our trailer, that is not included already in our film, we are going to use a portable zoom recorder. They can hold a large amount of sound and it can be transferred easily to a Mac.

Programme (Editing) : Garage Band

Rather than using Final Cut express again as our editing programme, we are going to use Garage Band as it too is an easy and simple programme to use, and as a bonus it is more sounds orientated (rather than film). Therefore there will be more appropriate effects for us to use.

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POSTER

Camera: See above

Programme: Photoshop

Photoshop is one of the best editing programmes available today and so we are going to use it to create our poster. We will use it to edit the photos we want to include and insert text to make our poster look more realistic.

Location Ideas

Below I have look at different places that I feel could be used as filming locations for our film.

Bridge - Dearne Valley Park, Barnsley

I really like this location and I feel that it would be really effective as our location for our final scene. The surrounding area, with trees foliage and ivy makes it look really isolated and a perfect place to get rid of an enchanted necklace. I believe it sets a really moody atmosphere and is also spacious enough to film on effectively so we could capture some excellent shots.

Footpath

1- Dodworth- Jermine Croft

2- Ripley grove, Redbrook

I feel that both these location would be suited for our film, they both set the right atmosphere and moods for our scene, they are also realistic and look as if they would be used as an everyday shortcut. They are both easy to get to by bus, and also are very spacious so would easily accommodate our camera and tri-pod.

Act 2 Scene 3 - Mirror Scene Storyboard

(Click to enlarge)


This is a simple storyboard that shows in stages the effect we would like to achieve in this scene; when the main character looks in the mirror we want her reflection to dissapear on screen. This is one of our suggested elements.

The Convention of a Thriller Film

In order to gain a deeper knowledge of how to successfully produce a thriller film, I have researched what a thriller film actually entitles. The conventions and codes of the genre thriller are the key features to producing a realistic film, and therefore in order for me to fully understand how a thriller film is created, I researched the main conventions of the genre.

Sound and Editing: Quick cuts and plenty of different camera angles as well as many changes. Jump cuts and elliptical editing is used quite frequently in thriller films to maintain the audience’s suspense, and to build tension. Music that further delivers the feeling of tension is also frequently used, with a major key tone, as a pose to minor, which are mainly used in horror films. As the majority of thriller films consist of an action scene, racy music is also used to add to the affect of the action on screen.

Lighting: The use of shadows, mirrors and stairs are also conventions of thriller movies that can possibly be implemented in. a particularly effective elements which we will include in our film, is the shot of an unidentified woman positioned in front of a cyclorama, with the light behind the screen, therefore her face will be shadowed by the light. Here is an example.

Narrative: Thriller films are normally shown from the perspective of two characters; the first being that of the protagonist, which involves the audience in events and creates empathy for the character, and the second, influencing the protagonist in their situations. As thriller films aim to hook the audience, and give them excitement, they often consist mainly of action.

The themes of thriller films are commonly based around societes current fears and worries. They may be isolation, entrapment, murder, pain or terrorism etc, although pain and murder are usually more associated with the horror genre.

Iconography: Shadows, street lamps, confined spaces, running water, bars on windows, Cities/ Town, foreboding trees, night-light.

Setting – The locations isn’t necessarely in a specific area in a thriller film, as they can take place in urban areas, isolated surbuban settings, and cities or quiet country villages.

Mise-en-scene – Mise-en-scene is essiential in showing the genre of a film. Thriller films ususally consist of dim lighting to hide parts of a character, suggesting that they are mysterious, large threatening weapons for props e.g. large knives, guns etc. Camera shots are normally point of view shots, frames within frames, or close ups. The camera movement are often tracking shots, and panning to show a wider range of landscape. Elliptical editing is also used to show the passage of time between shots, but is also used to enhance the audiences anticipation whilst watching the film. Colours are also used to signify different emotions such as red which connates blood or danger, and blue connoting a cool feeling, further reflecting mystery or death. These colours can be shown through props and costume, but also through framing.