Media evaluation: Acticity 7

Looking back at your Preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

I have learned a lot about many new techniques from what I did in my Preliminary task. Firstly I have learned how to use many different uses of using the camera. In particular, the use of camera angles I have used in this task. In my preliminary task, I only used one angle which was a high angle shot that shows the drug dealers feat as he walks up the steps. However in my main task I used, low angle shots and high angle shots in multiple areas and used them at more extreme angles instead of it having it a soft angle. So I have vastly improved in my filming with camera angles.

Extreme high angle shot

Main film intro (top) Preliminary task (bottom)

 

 

 

 

 

Extreme low angle shot

 

 

Another key feature that I've learned to use as well is the 180 degree rule which I didn't use in my Preliminary task. I really had to look into how I could make this shot work in my main film since I had no experience at using this technique. However when I did use it, it worked very well in my shot. The only time I did use it was at the climax of my intro when Harry is about to get attacked. In this clip a bird flies away and harry looks back over his shoulder to see what it is. The first part of the shot was a low angle shot of him looking into the bush and after he turned around, the shot looks over his shoulder behind him looking around at the scene. This was a very effective shot in my scene also because it had a change of lighting within it and made the 180 degree comparison more effective in the build up of the scene. Here is some pictures of this shot from my main intro.

 

 

My 180 degree rule shot







 



I have also perfected the use of the use of shot and reverse shots. This was mainly used when the characters were exchanging their dialog within the scene. For this I again used my new learning concept of the 180 degree rule. Here I used this technique to almost give a vantage point of the characters when they exchange their dialog so the audience is in the scene and makes it more effective. This technique was also unused in the Preliminary task to the detail I used in my film, so learning about it was also very vital. Eventually I found that the effect worked well and had again adapted the shot well for the dialog of the characters in the scene, and using this important shot in a professional way.

My use of the shot-reverse shot in my intro

Shot reverse shots in my preliminary task


Lastly I improved my editing skills of my final product. In my preliminary task I had a slight use of inexperience in film editing so by learning how to do a little at the start was ideal. However as I completed my main film, as I started to edit I began to learn more about the specific tools I needed to use in my intro to make it effective. Eventually after much trail and error with these tools I finally managed to perfect the overall editing of my intro to make the transitions between shots and sounds more smoother. Overall my intro looks more professional and less silly errors that I have failed to notice on so it looks like it is a professional piece.


To finish, I think my overall progress over this course has really changed my use of skills for filming. I know what shots I can use to make the intro more effective and how I can use the different techniques to mould them into my selected genre within my intro. So these are skills I will remember from when I next do a film intro when asked to and look back from what I did simply from my Preliminary task to my professional and successful intro that I have just completed and I have really learned more about filming than I have ever had before now.

Thank you for viewing my blog!

Media evaluation: Activity 6

What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing your product?

I have learned about using many different technologies when creating my film product. Here are some of the key examples of what I learned throughout.

I have learned a small amount of using my camera. I have learned how to add its anti shaking effect when filming shots and zooming the shot at just the right depth. I have used my camera a lot for filming before but this was completely new for me and it was good to use it in this way. I also learned about how I can improve the shot detail within the camera to change the effects of all the shots so it gives it an enhancing and effective effect when the audience views the scene. I am much more confident about using my camera and will use it a lot more in the near future.











My Camera which I used for my filming









Another thing I have learned to do is getting sound files to add into my film for effect or soundtracks. For this I have used my everyday home Laptop and  a website that just downloads them into a sound file after converting them to which I could save on a memory stick and import them into my film. This was vital to making my intro as effective as possible because if I couldn't get the sounds I needed the intro would be a complete failure. I have also used my home Laptop to update my blog, which is also a new thing that I have used. I have learned how to use Blogger as well, which has helped me a lot to update information of my project and keep a good record of everything I have done so people can see how I have used it. I have also learned how to use some of the features on blogger, like importing Pictures and Videos onto my blog posts so people can view them and see my visual examples.










My Laptop that I used for my blog and sound effect research











Lastly I have learned how to use the apple mac's and the systems on it, to make my final production intro. The systems I have used on the mac's include the following, IMovie, IPhoto and ITunes for all the things I need. Firstly I used I movie to import all my film footage and edit them al together, which I knew very little about during my preliminary task. However over time of editing I learned how to trim shots, lower the sound in the shot and add transitions between the scenes. I am now incredibly confident to where I was at using Photoshop and editing all my footage on my own. I have also learned how to import pictures onto the mac using IPhoto, using my memory stick. This time though unlike IMovie, where I had some experience, with this system I was very unsure about what I had to do in order to put the pictures into I movie. Eventually I saved the pictures I needed into IPhoto and was able to add them into the film and make them into a key part at the start of my film which I was struggling to achieve. Finally I learned how to important my sound files onto the mac through ITunes. Again ,like IPhoto, I had very little experience of how to use it so I had to take a lot of time learning how to use it. Eventually after some period of time I finally Important all the sounds into the system and added them into the film as files. However I also remembered how to add simple files from IMovie itself into the intro so again, it was another new skill that I have learned.




The mac which I used to edit my film intro into its final form.

 

 

 

 

My Memory stick which I used to transfer my items across

Now with this section completed I will move onto Activity 7, the final part of my evaluation of my media product.

 

 

Media evaluation: Activity 5

How did you attract/ address your audience?

In my intro I used a large mix of other films to get inspiration for each event that happens within the scene so I had to carefully plan out each section that happens within the intro to give it the right effect at just the right time to get it perfectly.

For genre conventions, I used very much the simple ones to build up all my suspense and fear within the audience. This are present in the shots when both the characters walk towards the hedge were the creature is hiding in. This is inspired to that of many films when something suspicious might be hiding in for example to that of Cloverfeild (2008). In this shot I used the bushes as a hiding spot for my creature and then when the characters get close enough they get attacked by the monster in its hiding area. This technique was similarly used in Cloverfeild when the creature is attacked and was believed to be killed after it falls and is shrouded in smoke. After a brief silent pause with only the characters voices being heard, the creature jumps out at them, with a loud and terrifying roar to make the audience feel fear when they see it coming. This technique really captures the horror genre and believed that was essential to use it in my film.

For sound uses, I used horror movies again as a clear inspiration for their uses.  One clear example is when the creature is hiding in the hedge and the first scientist is looking around. I had no  diegetic music within this scene, that would have diffused away the terror sensation. The only sound effects I had were 2 growling sounds that were edited to fit perfectly within the scene so they weren't too loud nor where they too quiet within the scene. This was again taken from another horror film Predator, were occasionally the camera views perfectly what the predator sees in his eyes. However despite them being similar there is one key difference between them. The predator's view is shown an infer-red colour format, whilst mine is just plane colour vision, to avoid confusion about what they are supposed to be looking at in this scene which is very crucial. Music in for my sound was also important for my scenes, n particular when Alex walks towards the hedge were the creature is hiding in. His line is given in non-diegetic fashion, but after the twig can be heard snapping, the dark sinister music starts to play and sets the impression that something bad is going to happen to him. This change in sound then is key indicator about the changing tone of the scene, from one which was peaceful, calm and normal to a new one that has uncertainty, danger and potential terror as well.


Lastly a key link between my film and this one are with some of the shots I used.  Perhaps the most evident of this is shown at the very end of film, when the creature attacks Harry at the end. This is a key thing that happens in nearly all Alien/monster films, is that only a small part of the creature is actually seen within the shot. This technique is vey effective because it adds further mystery and intrigue about what this creature looks like and what it has that's such a great harm to humans. It happens whenever the creatures appear on screen and each time only a small part of it will be shown, e.g. Alien when it appears only very close up shots are shown of its features and its outline is broken up by hiding in the dark or being shrouded by smoke. This can even happen with the biggest monsters such as that In Cloverfeild also, and predator when the creature has its Invisibility cloak on. So this is arguably the most important thing I had to feature within my intro and why it has become very successful to be in this genre.

Here are some examples of this technique.



























Now I will move onto activity 6.

Media evaluation: Activity 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?


I think my film would be suitable for a teenage audience for a number of reasons with this film I have made and here is why.







This teenage boy would be one of the main people who would go and see this film for a number of reasons. Firstly I think that people of this age will enjoy my film for a number of reasons. Firstly they would enjoy the number of scares within the film as it very jumpy and tense, which is what my audience like to see. Also because it has a slightly darker theme than usual so it allows them to get adapted into the events of the film and not get drawn away by it.




Their tastes are also important as well for them to see my film. My audience will be interested in a very limited amount of things. For shopping they will be either for clothes, games and phones. Their main hobbies would be partying socialising with friends and watching scary films which is what mine specifically is which targets them perfectly, so they will immediately spark interest in seeing it being advertised. Typical TV shows will be foul mouthed comedy and gory reality shows like the walking dead. So again it all fits into the dark gothic theme which my films support meaning it will have a lasting effect on them and potentially get them to buy the films on DVD or download them.


All of these will have a positive impact on the audience and raise further investment as they are watching a very new and fitting type of film genre that they do actually enjoy among the many that are thrown at them and will make key investment from a  generation that is tricky to attract, as they may not watch other films that the company produces. So overall it not only helps the film producers but also helps the main company as a whole, getting investment and raising interest in this specific audience range and making it have a positive effect among them.


Now I will move onto Activity 5.

Media evalutaion: Activity 3

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?


For this activity I am looking into which media institution might be interested into my kind of film and why. So I will need to look into my script to use references why I believe my script will be distributed to an institution.

From my script I had to pick key sections that a distributer would be interested in. In this case the key features from my intro that I believed are well looked for in my genre are the following: the freaky tree, Climatic jump scare, reading the Necronomicon pages and the POV of the creature from the hedge. These features I think will really stand out to the film distributers because it really captures what the theme and genre of my film is about and why it would be so successful to be distributed by production companies. The reasons why theses shots are successful are for the following reasons.

Firstly most of these shots are very tense and they build up a lot suspense in each scene so it makes it work very effectively. In particular these work with, the Freaky looking tree and the climax of the intro with the final jump-scare used at the end which often happens in these scenes. Another key reason is that it doesn't show the creatures appearance throughout the intro so it can make it more thrilling for the audience guessing what this terrifying creature is going to look like. My final key feature of my script is to ensure that the characters are firmly introduced and recognised so the audience can grow and develop a slight bond between themselves and the characters which is what my film would primarily want to achieve. This is all important because these are the key things that film distributors will look for when they prepare to potentially invest in the film and these are the key links to which they try to promote for them to ensure that it successfully gets promoted and released to make investment.

My Script

The key production company could be from a number of different companies because Sci-Fi horror is generally a really adaptable type of genre. These are big companies that provide money to the film institution that wants to invest in this film. I think my main film production companies that could invest in my film could be from Lionsgate, a specialised horror film production company or from the larger one such as 20th Centaury Fox. This is because 20th Centaury Fox has a very good History with Sci-fi horror films such as Alien (19790 being a huge box office success and runs to a similar genre to that of my film, But also they may like to adapt this new type of story plot and potentially make a huge box office success about it and have successful sales Whilst Lionsgate would like the idea coz it is a genre that they specialise in and they may like the slight blend of Sci-fi also added into this genre of film. And also because its a slightly darker film which is what they specialise in, so they would know how to successfully distribute a film like this one. 

The film can also be distributed through Entertainment film distributers because it has a very successful history and marketing big films and by linking it in with 20th Centaury as it would really take sales off and become a real success. With Lionsgate it may also work because it also has made some huge success in the box office so again it would maximise my film really becoming well known and public.

My main film Distributor Entertainment.

Lionsgate Film Production company

20th Century fox

For my film intro I have arranged each of key things that star in my film in a special order. Firstly I put the production company first and links it in with the horror theme to really catch out that tis production company does mean business.  Next I will put the cast down to recognise their talent when the characters come on screen in order of most importance within the film. Then when the credits are finished then I will put the order of the crew from least important to most important by the end of the intro before the name of the film comes on to show the production companies who has directed this film and that they specialise in this genre to further improve companies sales in the future with other successful films.

Institutionally my Film follows a similar path to that of Alien or Predator. These films are also both distributed by 20th century fox and both have similar horror Sci-fi theme so they both have gone through very similar processes. Both were reviewed and the marketed into their distributing companies and then made their appearance to the production company to review the film and see how it looked before going ahead and releasing the film into cinema when it was completed. This will be easy to follow as both these films and my film have very similar techniques within them so it distributing my film along the lines of this one will be very easy to achieve.

Now I will move on to activity 4.

AS Media evaluation: Activity 2

How does your media product represent particular media groups?

In my intro my main character, Doctor Straton is a character who holds some other key traits from the lead characters in some films related back to my chosen genre. In this case I will be comparing the character Ripley with Dr Straton in my film. here are some similarities and differences between my two chosen characters.

 

Similarities

Perhaps the one key similarity between my two characters is that they both share a powerful sense of curiosity when it comes to peculiar things or situations. They both ideally like to solve the problem or find out more about it, which is what ideally this type of character is focused on to do. By following this kind of pattern it easily keeps my characters inline with the rest of my story and clearly links it back to other uses of this genre. Another key similarity is that they are both rather ordinary people and that they don't over exaggerate themselves and make themselves look like they would cause so much damage and be reckless about it, but keep a cool calm head and plan out their sequence of events before they get into the action, which is another direct link with Sraton to Ripley and pretty much all Protagonists in all Sci-Fi films. Lastly the other key similarity between the two characters is their personality. They may seem quite harsh and mean to others when they around them but in a situation when someone is in distress they will risk their lives to try and help them and their softer side will come out, which is really what these two characters also share between them.


Differences

However despite showing the key similarity for the main character in this type of film they actually hold many key differences among one another. Firstly it comes to their gender, even though Straton is male character, he doesn't really hold the typical stereotypes for the person he should be. When he is in a very uneasy or freaky spot he can get spooked easily and make himself appear weak and venerable almost to that we Stereotypically refer to almost a female character. Ripley is also a key example of this, because even though she is a female character, she almost acts in that of the male stereotype. She is not scared easily and does not back down from a fight without putting up one, so she hold key things that Doctor Straton does not have and also implies that he may not be able to survive in this situation due to his key weakness in unable to face or challenge to that danger.


With the two characters compared  I am now able to complete activity 3.

Coursework evaluation: activity 1

Why does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of of real media productions?


Now that my main filming was completed I could start on my evaluation of my film.

For my intro I decided to feature it like a build up for the rest of the film that would follow afterwards to get people interested into what this film is about and potentially what is going to happen next in the films main story. For this is decided to build up the tension in the scene about the 2 men hunting the creature and get overpowered and taken by it. Prompting further mystery about what they are up against and how they will be able to defeat it.

Here are some shots from my film intro:

For my intro I decided to use the style of intro that jumps straight into the story and leaves twists and plots about what will happen next within the film and that what I truly wanted to capture in my intro.  In my first frame I wanted to make sure that person walking toward the house does not get his face seen in shot, to add mystery and suspense about who this character is and what potential like he'll have in the main story line of my film. The low shot in this scene as well was added to show were he was going and makes him be viewed walking into shot and up towards the house to speculate that another key person or group are linked in with the story. This shot in a way is an establishing shot but in a very particular fashion. Based on this establishing shot, from the film Skyfall, it shows an object in a specific amount of detail in the scene in this case the house. However their differences with this technique in closer detail. Firstly the shot is filmed at a fairly low angle to give it a more impressive appearance in the scene and also that the character is also walking into the scene from the side, this gives speculation about who this character is and why he has a link in with this story.

In the second shot when Dr Straton (Harry) is looking at the extract from the satanic inscription I used an over the shoulder shot to show what he is seeing. This is also implies that what they're fighting against is potentially inhuman and raises questions whether they'll be able to survive against it or not. I used inspiration for this shot to when a person is looking at a inscription, object and writing that could potentially signal some danger to the person in shot hinting that they may be in great danger by looking into the page. This scene was similarly used to one of that from Saw (the only film I could find that uses a shot like this similar to mine. It shows the guy looking at the X-rays which is really what my shot was about. However instead of filming the shot of him looking at the paper, I wanted to enhance the audiences involvement into the film and have them look over the characters shoulder to see what he is seeing and how it can capture their attention at this startling piece of transcription.

 

In my next shot when the two men are about to leave in search for the creature I show them walking out of the house to signify that they are determined to find whatever this thing may be. This shot was used to help make the transition of when they are about to go out and search for the creature in the area were they believed its in, allowing a smooth transition from the build up scene into the main one itself were the action starts to unfold, again following the suspenseful build up with in the scenes. Again this was inspired by horror films to keep the events slow since the characters are not in real danger of being attacked or taken by something in the scene. This shot was very hard to base on with the two characters walking into the scene together from a particular film of my genre. I used the basis of a two shot similar to this still taken from the lone ranger. In this scene the 2 characters are perfectly both in shot, just like the two characters on my scene. However the only major difference is that the characters are moving around a bit when they walk into shot and then out of shot, so it also features panning and pivoting techniques as well.

The fourth shot is that of Harry and Alex preparing to split up and search for the creature. This shot was designed almost as a breather for the audience before they get back into the action of the film and are able to get a clearer understanding off the scene around it. It  also is great setting ready for the next transition shot of the two characters exchanging dialog before breaking up so it also gets a good feeling for all of the characters in the scene, before the action starts to kick off again. this shot was inspired by that shown in the hunger games. Despite being completely different from my selected genre, it shows some good potential to build up tension in the scene. Firstly the two characters are perfectly in shot together and they can easily exchange their dialog in the
 scene without having to move the camera around too much.

















The fifth shot I used for my intro was when the creature stares at Alex through a nearby bush not far away from him. I used this shot from the film Predator were it shows the POV of the creature looking at the victim without them ever realising it is their in the scene with them. This shot was used to build curiosity and suspicion about what this creature wants with these people and why it wants to kill them . This use of camera work is one of the most important and inspirational uses of shot used in my media film. The only major difference between my shot and the predator shot is that it is not shown in thermal vision because it will have copy-writed the original idea and would have made the over all results not that good.






The sixth shot of when Alex ducks down when he hears the creature in the hedge implies that he is venerable and at risk by getting low down onto the ground and peering first head first into the hedge. It fills audience with suspicion and questions about why this person is getting down low to look into this rather edgy looking hedge that may be hiding something. This shot was similarly used in that of the film Splice (2010), when the scientist is looking down low to see this unusual creature. It adds a brilliant effect of uncertainty into the shot about what is going to happen next. I made mine even more tense by not seeing the creature he is trying to look for that links in back with the horror film convention.

The seventh shot when Harry looks at the freaky looking tree is another direct link into the horror genre. This us used to help express to the audience the fear he is experience in the scene and helps capture the audiences emotions and attention as he stares into such an intimidating and rather scary situation he's in. It also aims to catalyse the fear in the audience that something big is building up and that this characters will be apart of it when it happens. This shot in particular was inspired by the horror film, Poltergeist  which also uses this similar effect. With the girl looking at the unnatural static TV it implies that something is not right and that something dark is going to happen in the scenes to come, increasing the fear in the audience, just as I wanted to do with my audience.






The eighth shot when Harry walks to the bush is really were the climatic scene is about to take place. This is a build-up for the final climax to create the ultimate scare about what they are really facing, and how powerful it against a normal human. The shot is a tension builder ready for the final scare in the intro and again links it back into the horror genre. The panning shot is used to slowly move him from were he is standing over to the area where the creature is hiding in ready to make its decisive strike. This shot was inspired to that of the Ring. In this shot she is staring into the TV, were the potentially danger could be and implies that something could lash out at her any second. This was a technique that I wanted to use in my shot for this scene when Harry walks towards the hedge which proved to work, and by panning it across as he walks towards it adds further tension into the scene.
















The final shot that I used was the climatic jump scare of my intro where the creature attacks Harry from its hiding place in the hedge. This is the final shot that is designed to really surprise the audience of the potential thrill that this film can bring when they watch it  after seeing the intro before the title rolls onto the screen ready for the rest of this dramatic story to unfold. This final shot is greatly inspired by that of Alien Vs Predator, where an alien makes a dramatic unsuspected entrance onto the scene that gives the audience a good scare and implies to them that this creature is harmful and potentially a dangerous threat to all the characters. Another key inspiration of this shot is the fact that the in the picture the Alien is only showing a small amount of detail, in this case only its mouth and face otherwise its completely blacked out and can't be seen in full detail. This was also used in my shot, in this case only the hand of the creature is seen which also added a really good, use of a horror technique.

(If picture is unseen click on image or click on the link below for the image)

http://cinema.theiapolis.com/movie-0D4D/aliens-vs-predator-requiem/gallery/aliens-vs-predator-requiem-1095926~1.html#image

So with activity 1 completed my next activities will be completed on the following posts.



Completed Video Link

Link to my video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixROnYLod3Y

Main Task:Title Editing

Lastly before my editing was finally completed I had to edit in the credits of all the roles I had to do in my film and other people too who assisted me in this area of the filming, planning and development stages.

Firstly I imported my studio name at the start by having it fade from the normal logo, to the more sinister looking one that I edited the 2 evil eyes onto, (I later added a sinister alien clicking sound effect to add fear and unease into the intro for what is to come but also to hint further what kind of genre this intro will be). Then when the first shot comes of Alex walking down the street with toward the house I put down the name of my production presents and Alex's name in the top corner. Next I added Harry's name in the shot when he is reading the records, graphs and data in the creatures whereabouts, meaning I had made a good start to my credits so far.

However later on I found it was start to get difficult in were I wanted to put each thing in my intro. I decided that in the main areas were the characters spoke or when a dramatic scene was about to happen I decided not to include titles in that scene in case it nulled down the suspense, tension or focus of the audience from the viewed scene.

In the shots before Alex is about to get taken by the creature I decided to try and feature all of the credits out of the main shot so it didn't ruin the suspense and fear for the viewers who are watching a climatic scene and in other areas I decided not to feature any credits altogether. Next I added my next credit in the part when Harry runs towards the spooky tree and not feature anything in this part of the shot. The final shot was the easiest as I knew where I could put the credits in the shot when and where I needed too making it better for the climatic shot. The last of which I added just before the decisive strike was about to be made.

After the jump scare happened I decided to feature the title of my film in a similar font based on that of the necronomicon extract that was seen earlier. I decided just to have a plain white background with "The Mangled" written in white whilst the word "Hunter" was written in a red font to give the emphasis of Blood and that this creature is indeed a killer that kills people one by one.

Finally after months of editing and working I had finally completed my film intro for everyone to see and uploaded it on YouTube and could begin my final evaluation of my piece.

Main Task: Sound editing

With all my camera editing done I was finally able to add in my credits and sound effects into my intro so I can then upload it all on YouTube ready for its evaluation.

At First I was stumped by what types of sound I wanted to use in the climax of my intro when the hand jumps out and attaches onto the scientists face. At first I tried the sound effect with a shrill scream but it didn't really capture the scare factor that well so eventually, I decided to try it with a roaring sound effect instead. I decided to use a sound effect from the 2008 movie Cloverfield when the monster lunges out an attack which sounded like it would really strike surprise and fear into the views which I believed worked really well.

Next I decided to focus on the scary tree section. Here this proved more tricky coz I wanted to have a powerful yet rather faint screaming sound when he first views the tree. After looking up I finally found a good effect of a child screaming which added emphasis on the surprise and mild scare the audience will get in the scene. For the part where he looks at the entwined roots proved to be a more tricky sound to find. Originally I planned to have a wailing sound effect but this proved difficult because there were no decent sound effects for this, so I decided to find a decent horror sound effect that was close enough to it. Eventually I found a wailing/screeching horror wound effect that was perfect for the sound. So by editing it in and by turning off the original sound from the shot I was able to put in a spine tingling effect when this shot was shown onto the camera, adding a suspenseful effect in the scene. Eventually when I checked over on my climatic scene I found that I could add another sound that would make sense in this scene. I decided to add a bird flying away in the background before when Dr Straton is about to get attacked adding further hype into the scene rather than getting surprised about a build up that had no sound effect in the shot.

For Music this was the hardest because I couldn't find multiple horror soundtracks for each section in my scene alone so I decided to use other themes to take inspiration as a result. The best I found was the menu theme for the Horror game "Five Nights at Fedddy's" which had a different number of sounds I can use at different parts of the intro. I used the first part of the intro to build up suspense when the twig snaps and Alex starts walking toward the bush where the creature is hiding before it fades out before he bends down. The second use of this clip was where the music comes back when Harry arrives at the same area and he too starts walking towards the same bush before again fading out before the climatic moment when it jumps out at him. My last use of this sound was when Harry reads the Satanic scripture from the Necronomicon a low wailing sound is heard before fading out before Alex enters the room adding a sense of confusion and darkness around this mystery.

Another key sound effect I wanted to use were 2 different growling sound effects for when the creature is looking at Alex through the hedge. This was done to add mystery and surprise that this thing they are seeing from is not what they thought and are now in great danger. The first sound effect I used was a swift rushed growl effect to show that the creature was quickly wanting to get out of sight and not be detected. The second sound effect was a lower more harsh sound effect as the creature ducks down out of sight hinting that is about to do something in the next scene.

Lastly the sound effect I used for when the credits on was a low rumbling sound effect that added fear and shock that something dark is out there and is poised to attack at any moment adding fear about what will happen now that both are taken. I originally had this as silent but for me it wasn't powerful enough to have it as a Climax and have the titles role up in silence. Later on though one of my colleagues suggested whether I should try and have a faint heart beat sound effect when the 2 characters are in the woods together to add further suspense into the scene. To my surprise this worked very well so I added it into the scene at a very low volume and was found to have a very positive effect on people who reviewed it, during my testing stage.

With my original ideas added when I tested it out, I found that people didn't really find the child screaming sound effect fitting that part of the scene very well and that there were no references in why my characters walked towards the same bush were the creature was hiding without hearing anything unusual within the scene. For my changes I replaced the child scream with the sound from the "Five Nights at Freddy's" theme. One key example was the quiet wailing sound and a deep strumming sound effect, which I added in when the audience views the tree from his POV and when he runs off with the tree in full shot. For the other effects I added in the same growling effect that the audience heard from the creature when in the hedge. I modified the sound levels so it was a lot quitter and made it sound more realistic and as Harry gets closer the sound effect gets slightly louder just as he bends down into the hedge. After adding these 2 shots in I tested these changes and I was given the all good by everyone and my sound editing was completed.

Reference
This reference for all the sound effects that I have used in my extract to prevent me from Copywriting them. The following sources for each of my used sound effects are found below.

Monster growls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inbPm-l1ZNQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws-XpeuevaA

Rumbling title effect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFlByo_1C1o

Wailing sound effect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OQtJaV54bs -8 seconds in

Monster roar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zknSDrWnxdQ -12 seconds in

Bird Flying away
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFXfVO25voo -10 seconds in

Horror music sound effect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPAasdYUWEo

(The Heart beat sound effect came from the Imovie app and was not online material). With Thanks to all the people who uploaded the sound effects and letting me use them in my title sequence.

Main Task: Editing my shots

Finally was the time when I was able to edit all of my shots together to form my film intro. I decided to do this first so It'll be easier to see which sound effects will fit in with the intro of my film rather than finding a sound effect that doesn't at all go with the intro that I have designed.

I decided to edit my film with all the shots being in order of the intro. So I first started with the house shots such as, Alex and Harry communicating in the house  and Alex walking up the drive. By running through all of these clips I was able to see the perfect time to edit them all so the over all work did not look cheap and rubbish. The transitions in this scene I think went very smoothly so when the camera pans up to the ceiling it ended the scene onto the next part of the editing. However the transition proved quite difficult to perform as I has to judge perfectly how the scene would transition from one scene to the next.

Next I edited my shots when the 2 men are about to break up in order to search for the creature. Again editing was quite tricky because since the day we filmed was quite cold their condensation could be seen on the side of the screen before they walked on so I had to carefully choose the precise moment when each of the characters walk in. Also when they exchange their dialog it was hard to judge when they would be shown speaking to one another without it looking like I had to film it separate times, before eventually finding the perfect effect. However after some trail and error the shots were in place and soon the last shot of them together ended that particular scene.

For the next scene where Alex gets taken by the creature this was fairly easy because the shots were all times really well when put together but the sounding would prove trickier later on so I had to further improvise on how I could base the shots successfully in this scene without effecting the audio too much in the first part of the clip however, the later part of this clip proved easier to edit because it was more easier and better executed. In the last part where Alex cries for help, it was perfect in terms of camera work and I was able to move onto the final shots.

These last shots were easiest because they all fitted perfectly when Harry runs to Alex's aid past the tree that spooks him before heading into the climatic shot. When he runs in shot and sees the bush that took his friend, there was a slight problem with this shot due to the fact when he turns to face the bush, the camera gets knocked slightly so it made it look unprofessional and cheap so eventually I had to edit it all out. The final climax was by far the simplest because the shots were perfect when Harry looks over his shoulder and when the monster jumps out at the end before the screen finally cuts to black ending the intro when the titles then appear on screen.

Before I finished however I tweaked a few of the shots to try and make the intro shorter and eventually I managed to drop its total time by 4 seconds and made the intro look more smooth. When I was reviewed on how it looked my teacher said I had to edit the shots slightly, one of which was that the camera shakes in the shot and diffuses the tension out of the scene whilst the other was a shot that was too long and may have made the scene lest tense and make them loose interest in that scene. To improve it I edited out the shake of the camera in the first scene to make it look more professional and for the second shot I cut the clip so it was a few seconds shorter, so instead of the audience waiting for a period of time to walk in and loose that spark of curiosity, the viewers can instantly get into the action of the next scene immediately, As a result of these slight improved changes in my editing all of it was completed and I could move onto the audio effects.

Main Task: Locations

The locations of all my filming were all relatively close to home. I originally planned to most of the out door filming at a nearby woodland near my mums house. Also when I planned the characters as being scientists, I also planned to film the first shots of them in a dark corridor and then go to a room that was full of the scientists investigations and theories. However due to limitation of time of finding the area to film the first shots and the fact that my cast lived quite far away from the woodland I had planned to film, I had to think long and hard about where I could potentially film the rest of my intro.

Once I had found my cast members and edited the characters as being monster hunters rather than scientists, I knew that the location for my filming had to be relatively close by. After much wondering I decided to suggest filming in a little woodland section called Canada woods. The wood has a high bank beside the foot path that gave me the opportunity to film a wide variety of shots, in particular high angle ones. It was also a good location the little bridge is within view of the open sky so the panning shot was easy to perform when it panned down from the sun to the characters in the scene.

 

 Pictures of the first out door area in the film.

 

Another area of inspiration for filming in this area was because of the sinister looking tree beside the path. This was good especially because I needed something that would cause the more senior character to get uncomfortable after his colleague cries for help.  It was also good as it was easy to use the 180 degree rule between Harry an the tree, to enhance the effect and look as though he is actually staring the tree. This is also perfect as it has a long even path that is clearly visible from the side of the tree, so the character can easily be seen running down the path in order to rescue his colleague.

Pictures of the path and sinister looking tree


Lastly for the last out door shot I used was the jump scare of the creatures attack on Harry. This was a good space because it was wide open to give the feeling that the character is potentially exposed to some sort of danger and that he is being watched. It also was good because of the large hedge which gave the inclination that the creature was hiding within it so it is ambushing his victim. It was also good because it allowed various different shots to be used like when Alex walks up to the bush when the twig snaps or when Harry gets attacked by the creature at the climax of the intro, so overall it gives it a very good effect on the climax of the intro.

The shots of the hedge and the space where the final scene happened


Lastly for my indoor shots I  and the scene where we see the first two characters I basically used the street and house to show him walking up the road towards the house from various angles. In the house itself the only parts I showed was the living room where the audience first meet harry looking over his paperwork. It also shows Alex walking into the room and allows the audience to see a clear comparison between the two characters as they exchange dialog. Lastly the last indoor shot I've filmed was the hallway because it showed the characters walking out ready to search for the creature and I was able to pan up to the light ready for the transition to the first outdoor scene.

So all my shots were essential into working well with one another to ensure they all made the scene professional and perfect.

Media Project: Filming

Now that all of my planning had been completed it was now time for me to start my main filming for my project which I was very excited about. My first challenge was to try and find some actors who would perform in my film. Happily I knew someone, Harry Burbage, who was already doing media and liked acting so I knew he would enjoy being part of my film. However this was trickier for my second actor as most of my friends were busy or unable to attend, so instead I put down a Facebook status that asked people if they would like to take part and soon enough another person, Alex Damon came forward and said he's like to perform in it too. So with my actors ready to perform we arranged to meet on the 27th December ready for our filming to begin.

When they arrived at about midday I went through the pair of them my storyboard of my intro, script and risk assessment to show them what they had to do. After a thorough look through we all headed off to my planned location of were I wanted my intro to be filmed. Once we got there was a high bank that gave me a perfect shot of the two characters walking over the bridge ready to break up and search for the creature. Next we decided to film the shots with the two characters preparing to break up to go to search for the creature, which is shown by the use of a high camera shot looking down on the pair of them walking away from each other at the end of the scene. Since the area where the doctor was closest too, we decided to film the shots of when he hears that his colleague is in trouble and runs to his aid. Next we filmed him running down the down the path and seeing the scary looing tree before continuing to run towards him.

Next I decided to film my shots of the first scientist walking towards the area where my creature encounter will take place with the two characters. I firstly decided to film the part when Alex walks into the area from the creatures point of view in the bush before filming him saying his line before walking towards the bush and crouching down before the climax of his death unfolds. After this we filmed the shots of Harry as he runs into the scene walks towards the bush and the monster briefly attacking him. This final shot proved to be rather difficult to perform because the bush that we had to film with was not fully concealing so we had to improvise on how to cover Alex up without being seen and what best shots we could use when the hand reached out to grab Harry in the climax moment, also when filming up at Harry how to get the perfect view point in the same bush without it making look cheap and unprofessional as a result of when its completed. However after improvising and testing I was finally able to achieve my goal in completing the main filming for my task and begin the editing for it.

So after this was completed I was able to start my editing to complete my film intro and show it off for everyone to hopefully enjoy and be slightly scarred.

Main task: Costume and props

For my costumes I thought long and hard about what my characters should wear in my film intro. At first, when I depicted the main characters as being scientists, I would simply have them wearing a white lab coat and black jeans to fit in with the horror and dark feel. However this become improvingly difficult to come buy in the limited deadline for my filming. I eventually decided to have the main characters be monster hunters, so told them to wear so standard out door clothing.

For Alex appropriately enough as he was the younger member of the two men, he wore some tracksuit bottoms and all football trainers, to show his youth and young age. It also implies that he is not taking the job very seriously. In comparison Harry's clothes are very much the opposite to Alex's. He wears a smart walking coat, formal button up shirt, casual genes, a hat and a pair of walking shoes. This shows us that he is very into the feel that he is wanting to find this strange being and see why it causing much mayhem and what it is. So in a way it also shows a representation age in the extract between the two characters simply buy what they are wearing to give the audience an impression of who is more formal and who is not really so motivated between the two characters.


Here is visual comparison of the two characters differing costumes.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alex's informal costume 

Harry's formal costume

For props I used a wide diversity of these throughout my intro. Firstly and most notable of all of them is Harry's backpack. For this it added professionalism into Harry's character and emphasises that he is a well prepared and intelligent person who is ready for the search for this creature. The other props I used were later thought up to add tense and speculations in the scene, in particular where we first see Harry in the scene. The main thing we can see is the work that Harry has in front of him, most of which were props that I had or created myself for the scene in mind.  Firstly was the giant red folder that he has with him when he's looking at the data readings for the creature. This was really my school folder which was large enough to look like a private document that contained private information of what the creature was and how it was potentially created.

 

My folder that I used in my film


The other two props that I used were much more visible on the screen to the viewer. These were the shots of the graph about TS Re gen  and the Necronomicon inscription page. These props were added in as a visual effect for the audience to show what the character is looking at and what it is telling him. These shots were inspired by my testers who explained that they needed to be added, in order to make the scene more engaging and tense. I put the graph in first to show that he is smart enough to know potentially how this creature came about and then the second one to show that he knows this thing is un natural and that its potentially dangerous and cause severe damage.

The props used for the introduction of Harry's character.


For Alex's character, no props were used. This again links back to the representation of the characters age. Because he is younger, he can't interpretative the data successfully and shows that he is not as intelligent and powerful as Harry's character. The props do this by significantly increasing this gap between them, but they also play a key role in keeping the viewers attention engaged and alert about what will happen in the rest of the intro.

Main Task: Shot list and shooting scedule

Before I decided to start my filming, I easily thought and planned about how I would film my shots. Because the filming would be in the winter months and it would get dark and cold fairly quickly I decided already that the best plan to take, was to film my outdoor shots first before filming the indoor shots afterwards. This was to ensure that the cast members would be happy on the days of the filming and that the filming of my scenes would be easily done without any problems to the shots. agreed with my cast members on what date we would film the shots and we agreed the filming would be done on the 29th December.

After I found the locations of where we were going to film did I fully come up with a good plan of my shot lists. I planned the shot lists and schedules around the areas that were closest to us to save us walking back and forth from area to area to film the shots. The first outdoor sequence we filmed was when the two characters arrived in the woodland area which was the first area of the wood that I planned to film my first shots. From that section I decided to film all the shots in perfect sequence as the would appear in the film to make more realistic and for my actors to stay in character. The next area where I decided to shoot was the area not far from the bridge where Harry was searching for the creature before he heard his cries for help. Next walking down the same path Alex took when the two characters broke off. I filmed the sequence of shots with the sinister tree, again in order of shots to make the transitions between each shot smooth and realistic.

Next we came to the wide open space area to film the build up of Alex's death and the Climatic ending at the end of the intro. Firstly I filmed the POV shot of the creature in the hedge watching Alex (again all filmed in sequence). Then was Alex's last Dialog sequence in the scene and when the twig snaps and he looks up. Then the rear shot of him as he walks up to the bush where the creature is hiding in before the mid shot of him looking into the bush before it cuts away to the next scene. Lastly the sequence of the outdoor shots was completed was Harry's climatic taking by the creature. I filmed all the shots again in sequence to make the events appear as real as possible and make the product successful and professional. However after this shot, it was nearly dark and the last couple of shots for my filming were agreed with my cast to be done the next day.

The next day, we met up to film the last of my shots in the house at the start of the intro. However on that day I decided that the schedule would be a little bit different. I decided to get all the Dialog parts out of the way first, since once this was done the cast will not need to speak for the rest of the intro. After the Dialog was done, I planned to film Harry over the folders and records as well as him looking at the two sheets.

Lastly for my outdoor house shots I filmed them again not in the shot sequence. Firstly I planned to film the two characters walking out of the house ready to search for the creature and panning up the light bulb for the first transitioning shot. Finally I shot the two shots of Alex walking up the house which would be shown at the very start of the intro. So with that my schedule was done I was ready for filming.

Main filming: risk assessment

Now that everything was in place I was ready to start my filming and make my intro come alive. But first I had to complete my risk assessment for my cast members and myself before we could start our filming completely.


The first thing I noticed that could be a risk was that since we were filming in winter the paths we'd be using would be slippery with ice or mud, and said that if they should encounter any, they should take caution in stepping through it and not trip over and cause injury. Secondly since my camera case would be lying around as we filmed, I made sure my cast members had to check were they were putting their feet in case they stood on the case with the camera inside it and break it, so ensured safety around all my equipment as well.


Next I decided that since we'd be filming in a bush, I made note that it may contain sharp branches or leaves that can puncture the skin and cause bleeding, so we'd make sure that only a safe bush would be used in our scene that would prevent any injury. Another one is that potentially, when off the path to film some scenes, there could be tree stumps or holes that they may not see so if they see any holes in the area we are filming we'd try and film the character walking through our scene area were they cannot be harmed by holes or unseen objects.


Lastly on my risk assessment was the fact that for one of my scenes we'd be filming near a main road, so we would only stay on the pavement and the grass area next to it and not put ourselves at risk of being hit by a car. Secondly I would be filming in a low down position close to the curb the road were I filmed some shots so my other colleague would tell me when a car came I would stop filming immediately and move out of the road to let the car pass then film the shot again. Lastly when filming the shots in my house, my cast members may be likely to trip up on the shoes they'd get into when they walk out of the house or trip over the step as they walk out of the door so I told them to take care and do it as normally as possible.

My Risk assessment

Main task: Film story board

Now that I'm getting close to my filming I can draw up my story board of the shots I will be using in my film intro. This is very exciting for now I am able to start preparing for what I am going to do in my intro and how my cast will act out their roles.

I first decided to have my first shot as one of the monster hunters (I decided to change it from scientists as it would have been too complex) walking up the pathway near my house, were they have set up their headquarters. They would be relatively low shots to add suspicion and suspense as to who this person maybe. Meanwhile inside the house the other monster hunter is looking over some files showing a mid-shot of him over the files whilst the camera slowly pans over to the left to speculate what the person is looking for and why he's doing it. Next for the speech part I will have a high angle shot of the scientist walking up the road, who is the younger and less experienced of the two, whilst the second is a high-shot of the more experienced scientist looking down over the notes and records that he has obtained. After this another mid-shot will be used as the two men get up and walk out the door, and as they leave the camera then pans up to the light ready for a transition to the next scene.

Next, there is a high shot of the sun before the camera pans down to a low shot as the two men walk into a woodland ready to hunt for there thing. Next a Mid-shots are used again as the two characters again exchange dialog and prepare to split up and look for it alone, before which another high shot is used to show the two men walking out of shot both in opposite directions. The next shot was possibly my mist unique shot in all of my filming, it would be a POV shot of my creature hiding in a hedge whilst the younger scientist is looking for things nearby. Next a low shot would be used as he looks down at a plant he's found before a rear, tracking shot is used to show him walking towards the same bush that the creature is hiding in. After this the a long shot of the man and the bush are shown as he crouches down and looks further before it cuts away.

First page of my storyboard

Next a longshot is shows the elder monster hunter is looking around for the creature and then he hears his colleague cry for help before the next shot shows him running to his cry in order to help him before he stops and looks at something. Then he the shot cuts to a scary looking tree before it shows a close up of his face of terror and shock before a rear shot shows him looking at it before running of out of shot. Next another log shot is used as he runs into view and sees the same bush as his friend did. After this a second long shot is used to show him walking towards the bush and crouch down in front of it. Then an over the shoulder shot shows him looking into the bush before turning around. Then a high shot shows him turning back round before the last 2 shots used are the same as a hand lashes out and grabs the scientists face cutting to black. I was happy that my script made sense, but to double check, I ran through it with my family just to make sure if another person beside me was able to understand it, and after they gave it the all clear I was ready to start my filming. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

The Second page and slide of my storyboard