We observed the conventions of continuity in the opening sequence by filming all of the final shots in the same day so that they were all filmed in the same conditions. In shots affected by the dense vegetation we were able to adjust the brightness and contrast on the iMac’s to keep the transitions seamless. As the characters devised are the same ages as ourselves we were able to write a script as dialect used would just be what we would say. Having characters similar to us made it easy to empathize with them and also understand them a lot better. We only made two mistakes in the production which were when Matt wears the gloves he has left behind in the scene where the bikers leave in a rush. These gloves have no significance and although visible this is unnoticeable to the untold viewer, so although it is a mistake it was easily rectified by adjusting the colours when editing. The other mistake was in one of the final scenes which shows George crawling on the floor after the crash. The issue is that in one of these short clips the legs of two group members were visible. We managed to conceal this by once again bringing the brightness down as we originally intended and after testing these two mistakes on unsuspecting viewers it was clear that they are very subtle and we are confident that nobody will notice unless told beforehand.
We made errors in the preliminary task as we didn’t originally understand the camera. After filming shots in a dark room we found that when importing them they were rendered useless as they were too dark and obfuscated comprehension of the sequence. This helped us as it showed that no matter what conditions we filmed in we could adjust them on iMovie to attain continuity and desired lighting. Progressing from the preliminary task the main things I learnt were the technical sides of production. Once I became confident with the equipment it was easier to attempt a lot more creative shots and after experimenting on iMovie I learnt some techniques I would later use on the opening sequence to build up the suspense.
Our fiction film challenges conventions in the genre. For example the extent of P.O.V shots we have used are often used sparingly in the industry to conceal identification. However, we decided that it would give the perfect impression as we wanted the stalkers identity to remain completely hidden and we also wanted to introduce something which would clearly be a generic trait for our sequence. The use of this technique for George on the bike also really brings the audience closer to the character as we try and get them to attach emotion to him. Horror films usually take time to build relationships with characters but we aimed to throw the audience right into the horror and realized that this technique was the best way. The chase we have created as the anonymous villain moves in perturbs the audience as they can see how George’s struggles are not going to save him and eventually he will be caught and consequences will materialise. The hidden identity of the stalker leaves the audience guessing and is the same technique used in ‘The Blair Witch Project’ which some of the themes used are reminiscent of.
We chose to contrast another trait in horror films which is that of the characters. Our production is based on the theme of friendship and so we did not use the conventional good and bad attributes of people. Our film challenges this by introducing the bond of friends into the horror and the film explores how far they will go to save each other and how the group dynamic we have created will help each individual to cope with the hideous situation they find themselves trapped in. Our sequence also challenges the industry which is now dominated by the gore and violence of modern horror films by trying to be original with a more psychological film. We also decided to take this path in our horror film as we were unable to produce decent special effects and didn’t want our uneducated attempts to bring the sequence down. We took inspiration for this psychological element from films such as ‘Saw’ and ‘Jaws’ where the horror is also joined by mystery as to the source of the stimulants causing the horror.
We are trying to provide the audience with a new take on the horror genre, by introducing new themes in the film showing the friends working together rather than tearing themselves apart. Our aim is to create something deviating from the current horror films being produced and so we have created a psychological horror. The real element of the film lies not in the visual horror but the techniques we have used to try and bring cognitive terror to the audience.
The group managed to work together and used individual strengths to raise the overall standard produced. Equipment was moderately easy to manage as all we really had to transport was the camera and tripod. As our costumes involved backpacks this meant we could use them to carry around any further props necessary to the filming process, for example the missing posters we attached to the sign post. We all decided on dates we were free on and this is when the real filming took place as we could gather as a group. We arranged two days, one for practice filming and the other for the real filming. These specific days were dedicated to solely the filming of our piece and so after the practice day we managed to take our experiences from it and complete the whole sequence in one day following. This method of the group deciding on the most suitable date was effective as it meant we could be together at the same time. We filmed at the location of Pitch Hill, as we had originally chosen, for two major benefits. The area was relatively close to the majority of group members and contains a quite dense forest, which is the perfect location for our horror film to be set within. Our costumes had all been previously determined so that we were able to find suitable outfits for all actors involved before the day of filming. This meant we were all completely prepared on the day and I also wore exactly the same outfit on both days as we decided to use the final shot of my character being dragged away from the practice day. If we had not been organised in this respect the production would have been noticeably inconsistent.
We did not use a tripod for the P.O.V shots because this added the element of reality we needed for them to work. The shots would not create the right atmosphere if they had been take on a tripod and it would also have been very hard for us to manoeuvre the camera in order to give the stalking effect we wanted to achieve. Our storyboard was essential to the success of our filming as it gave us exact shots to follow, so there was no deviation from what we had originally envisaged.
In the process of constructing our product I have learnt a great deal about how complicated some elements of the film production industry can be. Editing is very important to the final outcome of our piece and we used ours to build up the pace. This wasn’t easy as it meant we had to shorten our clips down to the end whilst still trying to keep the story intact. I have learnt the importance of technique in cinematography as we discovered how hard it was to film some shots to a professional standard especially without all of the right equipment. One of the most technical shots in the production is the medium shot tracking George and Matt. This was a group effort to film as we attached the tripod to a mountain board then Josh wheeled it along with the help of my leg so that he could keep up with us. It proved difficult to get the result we wanted as the ground was very uneven so after many attempts we selected the shot that looked the smoothest.
The preliminary task was essential as it is where I learned the editing skills we would need to use later on. At first it was a hesitant and long process, but gradually I became more confident and fluent. As the preliminary task contained some match-on-action it was great practice for my editing technique, although the main learning of the program took place when we were just fiddling with the practice shots for our film. We learnt about all the different effects and transitions we could use but realised that for our film they were not really appropriate. The most important thing I think I have learnt on Imovie is how to distort colour onscreen, as this was vital in the atmosphere we created. As we used P.O.V shots from two different perspectives (George and the stalkers) it was essential for us to make sure that these two different identities were clear on the screen. This was achieved by using the Imovie program and by altering the colours from the stalkers view (like in the film ‘Predator’). As the stalker is never seen we had to make sure the audience know who it is on the screen. By distorting the colours in their P.O.V we have created their identity so that the audience will not get confused.
We used the microphone on the Imac to record the sound of the barbed wire trap. We could not find anything suitable on Imovie or the internet so we decided to record our own. To get the sound of all the leaves being lifted and the wire rising we used some kitchen foil which I then experimented with and found that by running my fingers up it would create a suitable sound. We recorded this onto the shot and were very pleased with how well it went with the clip. We did not need the microphone for anything else as our production was more about non-diagetic sounds which we would create with sound effects and the song we had chosen.
The technology did help us to develop creatively although it did also prove a major obstruction to us as we tried to import it and discovered a major problem. The group decided to use a high definition camera because after seeing the quality of the school cameras we realised that we would need something much more effective to capture the forest location. The camera also had the great advantage of not using a cassette to store footage, which made it a lot easier when filming as we didn’t have to keep rewinding every time we wanted to view footage. The problem with the camera was that it saved the shots into files the Imac could not recognise so we could not import them into Imovie. This devastated the group as we thought we would have to go out and film all the shots again and then fall behind on editing. However, we eventually found that by converting it to an AVI file we would be able to import the sequence onto the computer. We finally managed to get started on editing but found that by changing the file to AVI it meant we had to separate all of the shots we had filmed which was very time consuming and tedious. We took advantage of free periods and lunch breaks and eventually managed to catch up with the other groups and finish editing on time to a high standard.
After analysing our questionnaires we discovered that our target audience for a horror film is teenagers and young adults. The questionnaires also had a massive impact upon our pre-production work as they showed us what the audience would expect and want from a horror film. We used these to satisfy and shock the audience by following and deviating from codes of the genre. We realised how the majority of modern horror films rely on the use of gore and brutal violence, and we obviously knew that we could not emulate the effects needed to create this. We wanted to try and be original so we decided to make a horror which revolved around suspense and tension. We took inspiration from the ‘Blair Witch Project’ which is the most famous low budget horror. The film never shows who the campers are being followed by and we decided we should also do this to create tension which our questionnaire found is much more frightening than gore. We planned our story with the idea of the audience being more afraid of something they can not see rather than something they can. We found ‘Dawn Of The Dead’ to be a really good example of the type of opening sequence we wished to create as it teases the audience by foreshadowing what will occur and keeps suspense up throughout. This worked well because it keeps the audiences attention as they know something is going to happen and this keeps them guessing until the real villain enters the story. An example of foreshadowing in our production is my idea of attaching missing posters onto the back of the Pitch Hill sign. This illuminates how the unprepared riders have no idea what they are getting themselves into and also gives the audience the insight of knowing that something will certainly go wrong.
When filming and editing we already knew what each shot should mean to the audience. Sound was a key factor used here as we could completely change the impression of the shot according to what sounds we used with it. The opening of the sequence uses some uplifting music whilst as it progresses we start to introduce some unnerving sounds such as ‘Scary Accent’ and ‘Cold Wind’ which we used from Imovie. After analysing the opening sequence of ‘28 Weeks Later’ I knew how crucial the sound would be in creating the atmosphere and knew we could use it to help quicken the pace and build tension as the film does. Colour and lighting were also used to reflect the mood on screen. The happy bright screen gradually fades darker and contrast changes to show that all is not well as the dark closes in order to unsettle the audience.
We created our characters' personalities with the audience in mind as we wanted them to be able to relate to them. We made Adam very arrogant and selfish in his ambitions to reach the top of the hill, which leads the audience to dislike him and want him to be captured instead of George. George was created so that the audience would feel sympathy for him, thus we made him the most innocent and quiet of the group and his vulnerability leads the audience to fear for him. We created Matt so we that we could show that this was still a group of friends in the short time we had, so we made him the joker realising we could also use his jokes to foreshadow a less hilarious ending for the friends. Our use of personalities should get the audience more emotionally involved as they want the ever selfish Adam to be caught rather than the others who try and work together.
When we trialled the opening sequence to our target audience we received very positive feedback with only one criticism. It was felt that as there is no introduction to the personality of George the audience can't grasp the significance of his capture. However the majority of the audience disagreed saying that as he is taken so early in the film it does not really matter. Apart from this there were no other criticisms mentioned and the opening sequence was wholly enjoyed by our audience who were impressed with some of the techniques we had used when filming.
Our film can’t really be misinterpreted, as worldwide the inexperience of the youthful friends would be accepted. Our generic signifiers are ones that would be understood no matter what culture as we have used typical unnerving sounds and darkness which will not be misunderstood. We used young characters so that they would be easily identified by the audience who would be able to understand the situation more through association with the characters. We clearly introduced the themes of friendship and selfishness which we try to express at the start with the group preparing together and then with Adam telling Josh to leave George behind.
Our film will exclude audiences of older ages as they are unlikely to be able to relate to our young characters. We may have reduced the appeal of the film to some people but then by using such targeted characters we have enabled the film to be tailored directly for the younger audience. I don’t think excluding older people will be an issue as our research showed us that our film will mainly be watched by a younger audience anyway so we have tried to make the film as they would want it.
The mise en scene plays a big role in the micro elements of the production as we have carefully considered it so that we are able to direct it to our specific target audience. We chose country music because it is something that young people will not be able to relate to and combined with the unfamiliar setting of the forest the audience is just as unprepared as the characters for the journey ahead. The main macro element used was the missing posters which showed that the bikers are damned from the start.
I have learnt a great deal from this production about editing software and camera which I am now confident with using. I have extended my knowledge of the horror genre and used what I already knew to contribute to the generic traits of the production. I have also learnt how important time management and planning ahead can be to the success of a venture. I am very pleased with what the group has managed to create and think overall that we have produced a brilliant opening sequence with our own personal take on trying to create a horror film which differentiates from what is already available.
We made errors in the preliminary task as we didn’t originally understand the camera. After filming shots in a dark room we found that when importing them they were rendered useless as they were too dark and obfuscated comprehension of the sequence. This helped us as it showed that no matter what conditions we filmed in we could adjust them on iMovie to attain continuity and desired lighting. Progressing from the preliminary task the main things I learnt were the technical sides of production. Once I became confident with the equipment it was easier to attempt a lot more creative shots and after experimenting on iMovie I learnt some techniques I would later use on the opening sequence to build up the suspense.
Our fiction film challenges conventions in the genre. For example the extent of P.O.V shots we have used are often used sparingly in the industry to conceal identification. However, we decided that it would give the perfect impression as we wanted the stalkers identity to remain completely hidden and we also wanted to introduce something which would clearly be a generic trait for our sequence. The use of this technique for George on the bike also really brings the audience closer to the character as we try and get them to attach emotion to him. Horror films usually take time to build relationships with characters but we aimed to throw the audience right into the horror and realized that this technique was the best way. The chase we have created as the anonymous villain moves in perturbs the audience as they can see how George’s struggles are not going to save him and eventually he will be caught and consequences will materialise. The hidden identity of the stalker leaves the audience guessing and is the same technique used in ‘The Blair Witch Project’ which some of the themes used are reminiscent of.
We chose to contrast another trait in horror films which is that of the characters. Our production is based on the theme of friendship and so we did not use the conventional good and bad attributes of people. Our film challenges this by introducing the bond of friends into the horror and the film explores how far they will go to save each other and how the group dynamic we have created will help each individual to cope with the hideous situation they find themselves trapped in. Our sequence also challenges the industry which is now dominated by the gore and violence of modern horror films by trying to be original with a more psychological film. We also decided to take this path in our horror film as we were unable to produce decent special effects and didn’t want our uneducated attempts to bring the sequence down. We took inspiration for this psychological element from films such as ‘Saw’ and ‘Jaws’ where the horror is also joined by mystery as to the source of the stimulants causing the horror.
We are trying to provide the audience with a new take on the horror genre, by introducing new themes in the film showing the friends working together rather than tearing themselves apart. Our aim is to create something deviating from the current horror films being produced and so we have created a psychological horror. The real element of the film lies not in the visual horror but the techniques we have used to try and bring cognitive terror to the audience.
The group managed to work together and used individual strengths to raise the overall standard produced. Equipment was moderately easy to manage as all we really had to transport was the camera and tripod. As our costumes involved backpacks this meant we could use them to carry around any further props necessary to the filming process, for example the missing posters we attached to the sign post. We all decided on dates we were free on and this is when the real filming took place as we could gather as a group. We arranged two days, one for practice filming and the other for the real filming. These specific days were dedicated to solely the filming of our piece and so after the practice day we managed to take our experiences from it and complete the whole sequence in one day following. This method of the group deciding on the most suitable date was effective as it meant we could be together at the same time. We filmed at the location of Pitch Hill, as we had originally chosen, for two major benefits. The area was relatively close to the majority of group members and contains a quite dense forest, which is the perfect location for our horror film to be set within. Our costumes had all been previously determined so that we were able to find suitable outfits for all actors involved before the day of filming. This meant we were all completely prepared on the day and I also wore exactly the same outfit on both days as we decided to use the final shot of my character being dragged away from the practice day. If we had not been organised in this respect the production would have been noticeably inconsistent.
We did not use a tripod for the P.O.V shots because this added the element of reality we needed for them to work. The shots would not create the right atmosphere if they had been take on a tripod and it would also have been very hard for us to manoeuvre the camera in order to give the stalking effect we wanted to achieve. Our storyboard was essential to the success of our filming as it gave us exact shots to follow, so there was no deviation from what we had originally envisaged.
In the process of constructing our product I have learnt a great deal about how complicated some elements of the film production industry can be. Editing is very important to the final outcome of our piece and we used ours to build up the pace. This wasn’t easy as it meant we had to shorten our clips down to the end whilst still trying to keep the story intact. I have learnt the importance of technique in cinematography as we discovered how hard it was to film some shots to a professional standard especially without all of the right equipment. One of the most technical shots in the production is the medium shot tracking George and Matt. This was a group effort to film as we attached the tripod to a mountain board then Josh wheeled it along with the help of my leg so that he could keep up with us. It proved difficult to get the result we wanted as the ground was very uneven so after many attempts we selected the shot that looked the smoothest.
The preliminary task was essential as it is where I learned the editing skills we would need to use later on. At first it was a hesitant and long process, but gradually I became more confident and fluent. As the preliminary task contained some match-on-action it was great practice for my editing technique, although the main learning of the program took place when we were just fiddling with the practice shots for our film. We learnt about all the different effects and transitions we could use but realised that for our film they were not really appropriate. The most important thing I think I have learnt on Imovie is how to distort colour onscreen, as this was vital in the atmosphere we created. As we used P.O.V shots from two different perspectives (George and the stalkers) it was essential for us to make sure that these two different identities were clear on the screen. This was achieved by using the Imovie program and by altering the colours from the stalkers view (like in the film ‘Predator’). As the stalker is never seen we had to make sure the audience know who it is on the screen. By distorting the colours in their P.O.V we have created their identity so that the audience will not get confused.
We used the microphone on the Imac to record the sound of the barbed wire trap. We could not find anything suitable on Imovie or the internet so we decided to record our own. To get the sound of all the leaves being lifted and the wire rising we used some kitchen foil which I then experimented with and found that by running my fingers up it would create a suitable sound. We recorded this onto the shot and were very pleased with how well it went with the clip. We did not need the microphone for anything else as our production was more about non-diagetic sounds which we would create with sound effects and the song we had chosen.
The technology did help us to develop creatively although it did also prove a major obstruction to us as we tried to import it and discovered a major problem. The group decided to use a high definition camera because after seeing the quality of the school cameras we realised that we would need something much more effective to capture the forest location. The camera also had the great advantage of not using a cassette to store footage, which made it a lot easier when filming as we didn’t have to keep rewinding every time we wanted to view footage. The problem with the camera was that it saved the shots into files the Imac could not recognise so we could not import them into Imovie. This devastated the group as we thought we would have to go out and film all the shots again and then fall behind on editing. However, we eventually found that by converting it to an AVI file we would be able to import the sequence onto the computer. We finally managed to get started on editing but found that by changing the file to AVI it meant we had to separate all of the shots we had filmed which was very time consuming and tedious. We took advantage of free periods and lunch breaks and eventually managed to catch up with the other groups and finish editing on time to a high standard.
After analysing our questionnaires we discovered that our target audience for a horror film is teenagers and young adults. The questionnaires also had a massive impact upon our pre-production work as they showed us what the audience would expect and want from a horror film. We used these to satisfy and shock the audience by following and deviating from codes of the genre. We realised how the majority of modern horror films rely on the use of gore and brutal violence, and we obviously knew that we could not emulate the effects needed to create this. We wanted to try and be original so we decided to make a horror which revolved around suspense and tension. We took inspiration from the ‘Blair Witch Project’ which is the most famous low budget horror. The film never shows who the campers are being followed by and we decided we should also do this to create tension which our questionnaire found is much more frightening than gore. We planned our story with the idea of the audience being more afraid of something they can not see rather than something they can. We found ‘Dawn Of The Dead’ to be a really good example of the type of opening sequence we wished to create as it teases the audience by foreshadowing what will occur and keeps suspense up throughout. This worked well because it keeps the audiences attention as they know something is going to happen and this keeps them guessing until the real villain enters the story. An example of foreshadowing in our production is my idea of attaching missing posters onto the back of the Pitch Hill sign. This illuminates how the unprepared riders have no idea what they are getting themselves into and also gives the audience the insight of knowing that something will certainly go wrong.
When filming and editing we already knew what each shot should mean to the audience. Sound was a key factor used here as we could completely change the impression of the shot according to what sounds we used with it. The opening of the sequence uses some uplifting music whilst as it progresses we start to introduce some unnerving sounds such as ‘Scary Accent’ and ‘Cold Wind’ which we used from Imovie. After analysing the opening sequence of ‘28 Weeks Later’ I knew how crucial the sound would be in creating the atmosphere and knew we could use it to help quicken the pace and build tension as the film does. Colour and lighting were also used to reflect the mood on screen. The happy bright screen gradually fades darker and contrast changes to show that all is not well as the dark closes in order to unsettle the audience.
We created our characters' personalities with the audience in mind as we wanted them to be able to relate to them. We made Adam very arrogant and selfish in his ambitions to reach the top of the hill, which leads the audience to dislike him and want him to be captured instead of George. George was created so that the audience would feel sympathy for him, thus we made him the most innocent and quiet of the group and his vulnerability leads the audience to fear for him. We created Matt so we that we could show that this was still a group of friends in the short time we had, so we made him the joker realising we could also use his jokes to foreshadow a less hilarious ending for the friends. Our use of personalities should get the audience more emotionally involved as they want the ever selfish Adam to be caught rather than the others who try and work together.
When we trialled the opening sequence to our target audience we received very positive feedback with only one criticism. It was felt that as there is no introduction to the personality of George the audience can't grasp the significance of his capture. However the majority of the audience disagreed saying that as he is taken so early in the film it does not really matter. Apart from this there were no other criticisms mentioned and the opening sequence was wholly enjoyed by our audience who were impressed with some of the techniques we had used when filming.
Our film can’t really be misinterpreted, as worldwide the inexperience of the youthful friends would be accepted. Our generic signifiers are ones that would be understood no matter what culture as we have used typical unnerving sounds and darkness which will not be misunderstood. We used young characters so that they would be easily identified by the audience who would be able to understand the situation more through association with the characters. We clearly introduced the themes of friendship and selfishness which we try to express at the start with the group preparing together and then with Adam telling Josh to leave George behind.
Our film will exclude audiences of older ages as they are unlikely to be able to relate to our young characters. We may have reduced the appeal of the film to some people but then by using such targeted characters we have enabled the film to be tailored directly for the younger audience. I don’t think excluding older people will be an issue as our research showed us that our film will mainly be watched by a younger audience anyway so we have tried to make the film as they would want it.
The mise en scene plays a big role in the micro elements of the production as we have carefully considered it so that we are able to direct it to our specific target audience. We chose country music because it is something that young people will not be able to relate to and combined with the unfamiliar setting of the forest the audience is just as unprepared as the characters for the journey ahead. The main macro element used was the missing posters which showed that the bikers are damned from the start.
I have learnt a great deal from this production about editing software and camera which I am now confident with using. I have extended my knowledge of the horror genre and used what I already knew to contribute to the generic traits of the production. I have also learnt how important time management and planning ahead can be to the success of a venture. I am very pleased with what the group has managed to create and think overall that we have produced a brilliant opening sequence with our own personal take on trying to create a horror film which differentiates from what is already available.
