Further scar make-up experiments Saturday, February 13, 2010

We also tried creating scars using acrylic paint. It worked ok, but it was hard to get the right shades in the right places.

<- the majority of people asked said this one was the best

Scar make-up experiments Monday, February 08, 2010

On Sunday (7th Feb) we were going to start filming, but as our actress informed us she was unavailable at the last minute we decided instead to pratice some fresh looking scar make-up and praticed filming with the camera. We filmed some of the first shots which didn't need any actors, only hands which wouldn't affect continuity, despite it only being pratice filming/ to be used if something happened to the actual footage.

We started with a recipe Hannah found that used gelatine to make the scar raised and more realistic. However, there were some problems with this:

One of the problems was the gelatine mixture- as shown in the picture it took a couple of attempt to get it right (the first time the gelatine didn't

dissolve properly).

Also, it took a fairly long time to get to the right consistency so we didn't have much time to do other make-up. As well as this, we only had a small amount of time to create the scar before it set too much.

While we were waiting for the gelatine to cool enough, Georgie tried out painting scratches onto her hands to see how they looked.

They looked quite realistic but we were aiming for scars. We will still probably use the scratches though.

When the gelatine was finally ready, it we couldn't make it look like realistic because it went lumpy and looked odd. The paint was just streaks and looked nothing like a scar so we definately won't be using this method.

So, after the failed scar attempt, we decided to try some bruising make-up. It didn't look too bad, but if we decide to use it we would have to get better colours such as more yellows and browns as we only really had blue, purple and a bit of green.

Since the first attempt at the scar failed, it seemed like a good idea to try some simpler methods, such as these done using pens.
Most people said they liked the long scar at the top best- it had a darker bit in the middle that made it look deeper and the redness around the edge made it look fresher and more realistic.

They also liked the other scars though, as the bottom one was similar to the top one but with

less redness around the edge and black in the middle and the scar on the left looked older and

more healed over as it's not as bright as the others and there is little red around the edge.

Then this scar was created on the other hand. They then preferred this one to the others because it was less neat and still had the dark streak down the center which was darker on the softer parts of skin as the cut would be deeper there.

This research was useful because we found the recipe we wanted to use was too hard to get right so didn't work, however we found if necessary we can improvise with biros to make reasonably realistic scars.

Primary Research- Locations Saturday, January 30, 2010

As there are usually scenes featuring forests in horror films, we thought it would be a good idea to feature a forest scene in our film opening. We wanted somewhere where the victim could walk through and where we would be able to film point of view shots from the villain- for this we would need fairly a fairly dense wood so it could be made to seem that the villain is standing behind the trees, hiding.

Two of our locations that we research had dense enough forests for point of view shots. They also had opportunities for high angle shots which would show how the victim is being watched and followed by the villain.

Above is a picture of trees next to a path which she could be walking along and below it is a shot looking down on a path through some trees.

In this other location there is also a path that can be viewed from above, from the villain's point of view (above). There is also a path that goes down a steep slope which could symbolise the victim going down to her death (below it).

The third location we looked at was unsuitable because it was mostly open space as it was on a field with some sparse woodland and a single path at the edge. This was not what we're looking for- we need dense forest and as little open space as possible.

It is likely, however, we will use the first location as it has more opportunites for point of view shots. It also has more paths so we will be more able to find one that is most suited to our storyboard.

We also needed a house location, so we're going to use Georgie's as it is most suited to our storyboard.

Primary Research Questionnaire Friday, January 29, 2010

Do you regularly watch horror films?

There is a large scope of people who answered ‘yes’ or ‘sometimes’, meaning our film will be popular as a horror. This means that we will have to have a hook to entice the ‘sometimes’ people.

What is your favourite horror and why?

• Sorority Row - Gore
• Silence of the Lambs - Tension
• Jaws - Suspense
• The Hills Have Eyes - Really scary!
• Exorcism of Emily Rose - Relatable
• Dead Silence - Intense
• The Decent - Good story line
• Sixth Sense - Makes you jump
• Natural Born Killers - 'wierd'
• Halloween -Creepy music
• Prom Night - Unexpected ending
• Wickerman -Psychological - not all blood and guts

There is a large range of horror films listed, and we have researched into the ones we have not heard of. There is also a range of high and low budgets, and old and new films. The ‘why’s will help us to factor in people’s likes within other horror films into our own. The majority of these films are ‘realistic’ plot lines that are relatable, so we will choose a plot like this for our own film opening.

Do you like gore included in horror films?

The vast majority enjoy the ‘blood and guts’ factor of horror films, which means that we will definitely be using it in our film opening. We have also learnt from other questions that people do not like gore to overtake the storyline or used in excess, so we will be careful to be only using it tastefully.

Do you enjoy supernatural elements (e.g. “magic”) or do you prefer a realistic horror (e.g. a “mass murderer”)?

The majority of people said they preferred realistic horror films over supernatural elements. In other questions, people said that they liked horror films which they could relate to, so we will make sure that our film opening is realistic.

Are the first few shots of a horror film what entices you to watch?

The vast majority of the people who answered the questionnaire said that the first few shots of the horror film were what enticed them to watch. For this reason, we have to make sure that the very beginning of our film opening is exciting and grabs the viewers attention.

How important do you think music is when making a successful horror film?

Everybody who answered the questionnaire thought that music in horror films was either extremely important or very important. For this reason we will put a lot of focus on the music in our film opening.

Do you prefer to follow the story of the villain or the victim?

There was pretty much an even spread of results, which justifies our plans of alternating shots between the villain and victim, although we will be focussing mainly on the victim.

Do you prefer the plot to be surreal and complicated or simple and easy to understand?

Since most people prefer a surreal plot, it will give us more scope to experiment with lighting, camera angles, colours etc.

Do you find nursery rhymes included in horror ‘creepy’?

A lot of people like the idea of including a nursery rhyme in a horror film, so we will definitely be using this idea in our opening.

What is it about horror films you like the most?

• Can be true to life/happen to anyone - relatable
• Grips you - want to see the outcome
• Clever plot
• Tension/suspense
• Plot twists
• The 'not knowing' element
• Things being left to the imagination

We will take all of these elements into account while writing our narrative.

 What are your main criticisms of horror films in general?

• Tacky
• Fake
• Unbelievable plot
• Predictable
• Over the top
• Gore overpowers storyline
• Gives you nightmares
• Bad special effects

…And we’ll try to avoid these!