The Character
Texture
· Light from a single point of origin makes the contrast between light and shadow more evident. Known as a HARD LIGHT.
· Light that travels from different light sources creates softer light with a continue gradation between light and shadow. Known as a SOFT LIGHT.
· The texture of light can also be softened by reflecting it. A mirror scatters the light very little, whereas a white cloth surface will scatter the light a great deal.
· The texture of light can also be softened by filtering it through a translucent material or through a screen.
Colour
· Sunlight continuously changes colour because as its position in the sky moves, the amount of atmosphere it passes through varies.
· Light bouncing between the terrain and the cloud cover gives each geography a unique blend of colours in its light.
· The colour of a light is manipulated by filtering it through a transparent plastic sheet called a Gel, or by reflecting it off of a coloured surface.
Colours and uses
Dark Amber -- highlighting dark hair, warming a scene.Pale Gold -- slightly warming a scene. Rim lighting.Straw Yellow -- highlighting blond hair.Amber – simulating a fire or a sunset.
Different kinds of lights
· Tota
· Pro
· Omni
· Rifa
· Photoflood
· Sun
Some Modifiers
· Umbrellas
· Gels
· Flags
· Cookies
· Reflectors
· Supports
The roles of light
Key
The purpose of a Key light is to create highlights and establish the brightest areas on a subject. In general, all other lights are half as bright as the key light, so it establishes the base from which the others are positioned.
Fill
The purpose of a Fill light is to lighten the shadow cast by the Key and to soften the transition from light to dark areas, making them into more of a gradient.In Modelled lighting the Fill is positioned in balance, opposite the Key light and is about half the brightness or less of the Key.
Rim
A Rim Light separates the subject from the background by creating highlights around the edge of the subject. Often a Rim Light is coloured to give it a different character from the other lights. The Rim light is often placed 180 degrees away from the Fill light and very high, to create highlights on the hair and around the shoulders.
Back light
A back light lights to background. In general, it is one half the brightness of the other lights or about one-quarter the brightness of the Key light. In practice, it has about the same wattage as the other lights (Fill, Rim) but casts over a much wider area.
Practical
A Practical is a real light that exists in a scene, such as a table lamp, a television, a candle, and so forth. In general, a practical light does not provide enough illumination for video, but may be a distraction, casting coloured light into a scene which will change the colour of objects as they move closer to the light.
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Although we will be unable to use professional lighting, this research into the importance and purpose of lighting will help us make good decisions when choosing filming hours and colour mixes when editing. The research is also useful to give an insight into the professional world of film, and how much time and money is spent on lighting.
This research was analysed from the website: http://www.filmdyne.com/Essays/lighting.htm#2a
Friday, 5 February 2010
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Shooting Plan Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Plan for filming on SUNDAY THE 7TH OF FEBRUARY
Our original plan was to start filming on the 31st of January, but unfortunately we were unable to retrieve a camera before they all ran out. Therefore we will make sure that on Sunday the 7th of February will be organised and efficient to get as much high quality filming done as possible.
WHAT WE WILL BE DOING
10:30 – 11:15
Meet up at Georgie’s house. Inform Oona (our actress) about story board and what she will be doing. Take stills of what she is wearing and stills of surrounding rooms to make sure continuity is perfect. Make sure light is appropriate.
11:15 – 11:30
Do a run through for Oona. Make sure we know exactly where we will be shooting and sort out any problems concerning camera settings and any interrupting diegetic noise.
11:30 – 12:45
Film the “egg” sequence. Cracking, frying, making toast, putting on plate, and eating. We will try to do this is one take as we do not want Oona eating cold egg.
12:45 – 01:15
Lunch :)
01:15 – 02:15
Film the rest of the sequence. Oona Looking at the time on her phone, walking out the room (shot reverse shot), and standing in the doorway of the house (silhouette framing shot).
02:15 – 03:15
Oona shutting the door, walking down the road, and putting iPod in. Do at least 3 examples of how we could cut to a different location so we have a choice.
03:15 – 03:30
Check over footage and make sure we have got all the shots we need.
Our original plan was to start filming on the 31st of January, but unfortunately we were unable to retrieve a camera before they all ran out. Therefore we will make sure that on Sunday the 7th of February will be organised and efficient to get as much high quality filming done as possible.
WHAT WE WILL BE DOING
10:30 – 11:15
Meet up at Georgie’s house. Inform Oona (our actress) about story board and what she will be doing. Take stills of what she is wearing and stills of surrounding rooms to make sure continuity is perfect. Make sure light is appropriate.
11:15 – 11:30
Do a run through for Oona. Make sure we know exactly where we will be shooting and sort out any problems concerning camera settings and any interrupting diegetic noise.
11:30 – 12:45
Film the “egg” sequence. Cracking, frying, making toast, putting on plate, and eating. We will try to do this is one take as we do not want Oona eating cold egg.
12:45 – 01:15
Lunch :)
01:15 – 02:15
Film the rest of the sequence. Oona Looking at the time on her phone, walking out the room (shot reverse shot), and standing in the doorway of the house (silhouette framing shot).
02:15 – 03:15
Oona shutting the door, walking down the road, and putting iPod in. Do at least 3 examples of how we could cut to a different location so we have a choice.
03:15 – 03:30
Check over footage and make sure we have got all the shots we need.
Costume make-up: Scarring Tuesday, February 02, 2010
I chose this video because of the colour mixing ideas, as it actually showed the colour that you should be aiming for. This make-up technique is quite subtle however, which might not be the look we want.
The bright red in the scar is not exactly what we want, so we'd use the colour mixing from the previous video. The raised, deep scars however would be the perfect grotesque effect, and the video will provide a good 'this is what it should look like' guide.
In a bowl or cup, mix the 1/4 cup of boiling water with the unflavored gelatin using a craft stick. It should get very thick. Let the mixture cool slightly, but just until it is warm enough to put on your skin. The cooler it gets, the more clumpy and difficult it will be to work with. If your skin became moist from any steam from the water, dry it again. (source)
This is a cheap and (hopefully) effective way I have found to create the bulk of the scar. Next stop: trying the make-up out!
Horror C&C Tuesday, February 02, 2010
I have watched two classic horror movies, 'Scream' and 'Halloween', with the aim to find recurring or iconic codes and conventions within them, and explain the way (if applicable) our own film opening will conform or subvert them.
- An initial introduction into 'normal'/socially accepted daily life. Our opening is mainly following the heroine, as we have decided from the results of our first questionnaire, so this criteria is filled. This also gives our opening some relatability, as the actor we cast as our heroine is within our target age qroup. Relatability is something our target audience identified as adding more of a 'scare factor' within our questionnaire.
- A grotesque or unexplained death, with the murderer either known or unknown. Our 'hook' is the murderer twisting meat, which can be described as an unexpained death and keeps the audience guessing. Our murderer is never revealed, and is introduced in anonymous 'stalker' handheld camera shots.
- Teenagers/youths in an iscolated setting, either physically or just 'home alone'. Our heroine, who is a teenager, lives in an iscolated setting (close to woods) and no other characters are introduced whilst she is in her home, giving the impression that she is alone in the house.
- Enigmatic phone calls or other form of communication. Whereas we have not gone for the stereotypical 'I'M WATCHING YOU!' phone calls within our narrative, the heroine does recieve texts during the opening. We included this to show she has places to go, has connections to the outside world and is a stereotypical, relatable teenager, not to add to the horror. The texts recieved aren't shown on-screen though, so it can be up to the audience's imagination!
- An iscolated, vulnerable victim. Again, the heroine is iscolated in the wood scenes. We have decided to make her comfortable in this setting, only displaying distress when it becomes obvious she is being stalked.
- A killer that does not die successfully. Our coursework is of course only an opening and the narrative does not play out as far as to show the murderer's death scene, however the visible scarring on his hands could show he has endured countless painful situations, and the disfigurement holds connotations of a villain, impurity, and leads the audience to distrust the character.
Three Point Lighting Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Since we do not have any proffesional equimpment, we will be unable to use three point lighting throughout our film opening. However, this tutorial enables us to see different lighting techniques, that we can use to inspire the lighting in our film opening.
Monday, 1 February 2010
Audience Theory Monday, February 01, 2010
Audience Theory
Our storyboard and consequently filming process can be split into three parts. The first part involves flashes of the murderer’s hands sewing into meat, the second a series of edited shots of an egg being fried and eaten for breakfast before the victim walks out the house, and finally the third section (being filmed in a different location) is the victim walking through woods being followed by the murderer. (Please note the synopsis always sounds bad) With each section of our film opening, I will attempt audience theory analysis.
Section 1
The initial plan is for there to be three consecutive flashes of what we call, the “meat scene”. This will act has the major hook to our film opening. The lighting will be dim, with perhaps a tint of colour and will be a close up from the murder’s point of view. The flashes will, hopefully, insinuate a notion of mystery, as well as an element of danger. The audience will be questioning whom the hands belong to, keeping the murderer ambiguous, and therefore intriguing. The fact that the hands will be scarred and dirty with makeup, will implement the traditional connotations of a villain. The villain is often recognised as being disfigured in some way, and most commonly portrayed as a male, hence why we will be using male hands. The hands will be presented as moving in a drunken frenzy, suggesting signs of insanity; this will further be supported by diegetic sounds of heavy breathing. With these aspects in place, the audience will most likely also question the presence of the meat. They will have recognised connotations of a horror and therefore probably assumed the meat is not of the ordinary kind. Consequently, the audience will begin to have theories of their own of what the meat represents, and of the murderer, setting up our following narrative.
Section 2
The juxtaposition of an egg being cracked, fried, and eaten will, hopefully, surprise the audience due to the sudden change of atmosphere. The quick paced editing will not allow much time for the audience to decode the shot switch, but will keep up the tension and an element of mystery. However the audience will recognise that the “breakfast” shots are with a completely different scene and character. We will try to make the contrast between the two sections as evident as possible, with a change in sound and brighter lighting. The victim’s hands will be kept clean and “pure” to show the obvious change in character.
When the victim is first introduced to the audience, we will try to portray her as the “typical” teen. She will have a relaxed attitude and wear up to date clothing. Her hair is blond, and she will be wearing white, presenting connotations of innocence. She will check the time on her mobile, rather than her watch to keep up the conventions of teenagers using modern technology.
When using tracking shots of the victim we will try to keep the continuity as perfect as possible so that the audience feel comfortable watching. The framing shot we intend to do with the victim standing in the doorway will draw all attention to the victim. The audience will question her importance to the plot and probably have guessed that she has a link with the “meat scene” from before. Due to the fact that she is presented as young and innocent, the audience will have assumptions that she will be targeted.
The fact that we will be shooting in daylight will subvert the traditional connotations of a horror being filmed in the dark. Conventionally, daylight is viewed as an element of safety; therefore the audience will not expect an attack, implementing the notion that no one is safe. The attack in daylight will further show the audience that the murderer is undaunted by the concept of being seen, making him seem invincible.
Section 3
The victim’s face will remain confident and secure in the wood scenes to imply that she often walks alone, and that she is unafraid. The scenes showing the murderer “stalking”, will only display his hands. The hands will be instantly recognised by the audience, and know that they are a sign of danger. The contrast between the shots of the victim and the murderer will be evident due to a change in lighting and sound. Suspense and tension will be built up with both the music and rapid changes in editing, and so the audience will be aware of the upcoming climax of the scene.
The murderer will grab the victim suddenly, and pull her either towards or away from the camera. The abrupt action will shock the audience, allowing them to relate to the victim’s trauma. The following and last shot will show the murderer standing over the victim lying on the floor. The audience will question whether she is still alive and fear what the murderer will do, leaving our opening on a cliff hanger and intriguing the audience to watch more.
Our storyboard and consequently filming process can be split into three parts. The first part involves flashes of the murderer’s hands sewing into meat, the second a series of edited shots of an egg being fried and eaten for breakfast before the victim walks out the house, and finally the third section (being filmed in a different location) is the victim walking through woods being followed by the murderer. (Please note the synopsis always sounds bad) With each section of our film opening, I will attempt audience theory analysis.
Section 1
The initial plan is for there to be three consecutive flashes of what we call, the “meat scene”. This will act has the major hook to our film opening. The lighting will be dim, with perhaps a tint of colour and will be a close up from the murder’s point of view. The flashes will, hopefully, insinuate a notion of mystery, as well as an element of danger. The audience will be questioning whom the hands belong to, keeping the murderer ambiguous, and therefore intriguing. The fact that the hands will be scarred and dirty with makeup, will implement the traditional connotations of a villain. The villain is often recognised as being disfigured in some way, and most commonly portrayed as a male, hence why we will be using male hands. The hands will be presented as moving in a drunken frenzy, suggesting signs of insanity; this will further be supported by diegetic sounds of heavy breathing. With these aspects in place, the audience will most likely also question the presence of the meat. They will have recognised connotations of a horror and therefore probably assumed the meat is not of the ordinary kind. Consequently, the audience will begin to have theories of their own of what the meat represents, and of the murderer, setting up our following narrative.
Section 2
The juxtaposition of an egg being cracked, fried, and eaten will, hopefully, surprise the audience due to the sudden change of atmosphere. The quick paced editing will not allow much time for the audience to decode the shot switch, but will keep up the tension and an element of mystery. However the audience will recognise that the “breakfast” shots are with a completely different scene and character. We will try to make the contrast between the two sections as evident as possible, with a change in sound and brighter lighting. The victim’s hands will be kept clean and “pure” to show the obvious change in character.
When the victim is first introduced to the audience, we will try to portray her as the “typical” teen. She will have a relaxed attitude and wear up to date clothing. Her hair is blond, and she will be wearing white, presenting connotations of innocence. She will check the time on her mobile, rather than her watch to keep up the conventions of teenagers using modern technology.
When using tracking shots of the victim we will try to keep the continuity as perfect as possible so that the audience feel comfortable watching. The framing shot we intend to do with the victim standing in the doorway will draw all attention to the victim. The audience will question her importance to the plot and probably have guessed that she has a link with the “meat scene” from before. Due to the fact that she is presented as young and innocent, the audience will have assumptions that she will be targeted.
The fact that we will be shooting in daylight will subvert the traditional connotations of a horror being filmed in the dark. Conventionally, daylight is viewed as an element of safety; therefore the audience will not expect an attack, implementing the notion that no one is safe. The attack in daylight will further show the audience that the murderer is undaunted by the concept of being seen, making him seem invincible.
Section 3
The victim’s face will remain confident and secure in the wood scenes to imply that she often walks alone, and that she is unafraid. The scenes showing the murderer “stalking”, will only display his hands. The hands will be instantly recognised by the audience, and know that they are a sign of danger. The contrast between the shots of the victim and the murderer will be evident due to a change in lighting and sound. Suspense and tension will be built up with both the music and rapid changes in editing, and so the audience will be aware of the upcoming climax of the scene.
The murderer will grab the victim suddenly, and pull her either towards or away from the camera. The abrupt action will shock the audience, allowing them to relate to the victim’s trauma. The following and last shot will show the murderer standing over the victim lying on the floor. The audience will question whether she is still alive and fear what the murderer will do, leaving our opening on a cliff hanger and intriguing the audience to watch more.
Humpty Dumpty Theme Tune In E Minor Monday, February 01, 2010
It's not a masterpiece, but there you are.
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Film Production Companies Sunday, January 31, 2010
Because we have been asked to provide some film prodiction companies in our film opening, it seemed wise to look into some as we want to find and use the right ones (for example films that normally produce comedies would not work with our film as it is a horror).
Here are some random horror films and the companies produced them:
The Others (2001 version)- Dimension Films
Let the right one in- 6-Shooters Film Series, Magnet
The 39 Steps (1935 version)- Gaumont British Picture Corporation Ltd.
The Hills Have Eyes (2006 version)- Fox Searchlight Pictures
The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)- Fox Atomic
Disturbia- Dreamworks, The Montecito Picture Company
The Shining- Warner Bros.
A Nightmare on Elm Street- New Line Cinema, Media Home Entertainment inc., Smart Egg Pictures
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974 version)- MPI
House of Wax- Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, Dark Castle
The Silence of the Lambs- Orion Pictures
The Omen- Twentieth Century Fox
Beetlejiuce- (produced by) The Geffen Film Company, (distributed by) Warner Bros.
Friday the 13th (1980 version)- Paramount
Rosemary's Baby- Paramount, William Castle
The Exorcist- Warner Bros.
Ghost Ship-Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures
Paranormal Activity- DreamWorks, Paramount
The Amityville Horror (2005)- MGM, Dimension Films, Platinum Dunes, Radar Pictures
This reasearch shows us the suitable production companies to use in our film. We will probably use Paramount/ Universal as they are most well known. We probably won't use Warner Bros. as, although it is most common in the above list, it is now more associated with family films such as Harry Potter.
Here are some random horror films and the companies produced them:
The Others (2001 version)- Dimension Films
Let the right one in- 6-Shooters Film Series, Magnet
The 39 Steps (1935 version)- Gaumont British Picture Corporation Ltd.
The Hills Have Eyes (2006 version)- Fox Searchlight Pictures
The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)- Fox Atomic
Disturbia- Dreamworks, The Montecito Picture Company
The Shining- Warner Bros.
A Nightmare on Elm Street- New Line Cinema, Media Home Entertainment inc., Smart Egg Pictures
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974 version)- MPI
House of Wax- Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, Dark Castle
The Silence of the Lambs- Orion Pictures
The Omen- Twentieth Century Fox
Beetlejiuce- (produced by) The Geffen Film Company, (distributed by) Warner Bros.
Friday the 13th (1980 version)- Paramount
Rosemary's Baby- Paramount, William Castle
The Exorcist- Warner Bros.
Ghost Ship-Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures
Paranormal Activity- DreamWorks, Paramount
The Amityville Horror (2005)- MGM, Dimension Films, Platinum Dunes, Radar Pictures
This reasearch shows us the suitable production companies to use in our film. We will probably use Paramount/ Universal as they are most well known. We probably won't use Warner Bros. as, although it is most common in the above list, it is now more associated with family films such as Harry Potter.
Typography Sunday, January 31, 2010
As we haven't yet look much into typography for our opening credits, it made sense to research some. The typography of the credits is important because it plays a big part in how the audience tells what kind of film it is- for example romance films often have red, swirly or bubbley writing whereas horrors often have black backgrounds with white or maybe red or yellow simple writing.
It also seemed a good idea to do a bit of research into the typography of other genres, so we know what it shouldn't look like and maybe we will use it for future reference. 
"10 things I hate about you" (1999) is a romantic comedy and is aimed at teenagers. The typography reflects this because it looks to be scribbled as though an angry teenager (presumably a girl as girls are represented to be more emotional) wrote it after a break up or something. The green colour has connotations of jealously, suggesting jealously and rage, and maybe heartbreak, are some of the themes dealt with in this film.
"The Life of Brian" (1979) is a comedy film. The form of animation used for the sun and the clouds suggests that it is a fairly old film- although not too old as it is in colour. The slant and size of the writing shows it is a comedy because the size is comically large and the slant has connotations of falling over which is often featured in comedies. The bright blue of the sky and the white/ brightness of the sun and clouds combined with the strong yellow of the title shows it is a cheerful film as bright colours such as yellow and blue (especially yellow) are usually associated with happiness and therefore the comedy genre.
"Let the right one in" (2004) uses the rule of thirds in it's title screen. This makes it aesthetically pleasing to the audience and allows room on the right side of the screen for snow, which informs the audience a bit about the location. We can tell it is a horror film because it has simple, red writing, in capitals for emphasis, on a black background. Research shows that most horror films have the title on a black background and many have the title written in capital letters. This makes the title clear and the black background makes it stand out and, unlike other genres, does not give away any of the story making it scarier and more surprising for the viewer. It is middley in size and because it is in red and the snow is white, it draws viewer attention more away from the snow and focuses on the title.
Similarly, "Psycho"(1960) uses the black background with the title writing being white. This has a good contrasting effect and makes the title really stand out. The title, again, is in capital letters but unlike "let the right one in" reflects the narrative of the film- not only does the title show it is a psycological thriller but it is also broken up which has connotations of someone in the film having an unstable mind. The typography is, again, simple and directly informs the viewer of the general narrative of the film (before watching it they can tell it is a psycological thriller and features unstable characters). This title again acts in accordance with the codes and conventions of typical horror typography- simple with contrasting colour scheme of black and white. It is big and clearly the main focus of the viewer as it is the biggest word on the screen and there are no distracting pictures in the background, only some credits above and below it but as these are in a smaller, simpler font they are not very distracting to the reader.
"The Birds" (1963) has interesting typography because it still complies with the codes and conventions of horror typography but instead of having a black background with white writing, it has a white background and white writing that is faintly outlined in blue to make it readable. By doing this it allows opportunity to have black birds (probably crows as they are often associated with horror films and murder, although it was hard to tell on YouTube) flying accross the background. These swift moments of contrast in colour emphasise the title and makes it even clearer that birds are important to the main story line. The title, again, is in capital letters and simple typography which allows the viewer to scan over the title then focus more on the birds in the background before the film begins. The title is fairly big which ensures the viewer will notice it despite it being white on white.
Interestingly, "The Others" (2001) has a set in the background. This set is dark and dreary and has connotations of being in a grand yet deserted house- it looks like a large house because of the way the stairs are designed and the way that it appears to be an open area, maybe an entrance hall. By showing the initial setting to be a house it makes the film more appealing and personal to the viewer therefore increasing the terror evoked in the viewer. This film also has simple typography in white and capital letters for emphasis. Because the scene in the background is dark and shadowy with little colour (only redish brown, white and black shading) the title shows up clearly in the middle of the screen. It is fairly small in size which allows the viewer to focus also on the background, not just the title.
This last example of horror film typography is from "The Shining" (1980). It features a beautiful, natural setting in the background which is a stark contrast to the narrative of the film. The typography is reasonably small and focused in the middle of the screen at the bottom, but scrolls up preceeded and then followed by some credits so focuses the viewers attention on it, away from the tracking shot in the background. It also attracts attention by being a bright, turquoise colour- this unnatural colour contrasts greatly with the nauralness of the trees, river, sky and mountains featured in the backgroud.
Overall, these typography examples all have a colour that contasts to the background so the title stands out. The background in each varies so we could use the background of our narrative and just put the typography on top or we could fade in/out to a dark screen and then put the writing on. The writing in each of these examples is fairly large in comparison to the rest of the writing/ screen so we will probably use fairly large typography. Also, the titles seem to be mainly in the middle of the screen or a little to the left so we will probably put our in the middle as well in order to comform to the codes and conventions of horror film typography that have been shown in these examples.
It also seemed a good idea to do a bit of research into the typography of other genres, so we know what it shouldn't look like and maybe we will use it for future reference.
"Casablanca" (1942) is a romance and we as viewers can tell this by the soft, swirly writing. As there is a man in the background behind the title it is suggested that he plays a a big part in the film. Because it is a black and white film it looks to be more for older audiences and appears to be quite a traditional romance film.
Research into composing the music Sunday, January 31, 2010
Our film opening is going to carry omens which are like a sinister version of the children's nursery rhyme, Humpty Dumpty. The tune to this nursery rhyme will therefore play an important part in the music, along with the other codes and conventions of film music.
I have found the sheet music to the nursery rhyme:
The piece is in the key of G major, so to make it sound more sinister I will be converting it into it's relative minor - E minor. This part of the film music will probably be played using some kind of music box/glockenspeil sound, as this makes references back to the childlike nature of the nursery rhyme, but in a more sinister way. I will also be adding in chords to fit with this melody.
I have found the sheet music to the nursery rhyme:
The piece is in the key of G major, so to make it sound more sinister I will be converting it into it's relative minor - E minor. This part of the film music will probably be played using some kind of music box/glockenspeil sound, as this makes references back to the childlike nature of the nursery rhyme, but in a more sinister way. I will also be adding in chords to fit with this melody.