Lighting in our film opening

This is a screen shot from ''Unfriended' showing specific lighting. The lighting is mostly artificial coming from on screen objects like lamps and light bulbs. Since is a house, this sort of lighting is common in a technological horror. We tried to include lighting variations in each of our shots to ensure more marks.


This is a few shots from of our horror film that use artificial lighting. We tried to mirror the same sort of lighting from 'Unfriended' to capture the same conventions of lighting 

This shows lowkey lighting from the technological horror 'Stay Alive'. Lowkey lighting is the most common in the horror genre so we had to make sure we incorporated it into out horror film

This is a shot from our film that shows lowkey lighting to create an eerie atmosphere.

This is another shot from our horror film where we have used back lighting to illuminate our antagonist from the back. 

Research on production companies

Research on production companies
When researching production companies, we looked for the ones that specifically did horror movies and chose between the ones most suited to our film opening. We wanted to choose a production company that also was a smooth fit for our opening and didn't look out of place. These are the companies we found ...


Blumhouse productions

• Founded by Jason Blum 
• Specialise in low budget films
• Since it's launch in 2000, the company have been involved in over 30 films
• The most popular movies include Paranormal Activity, Insidious and The Purge 
• Blumhouse productions is a multi media production company that has developed a new model of studio film making, producing high quality but low budget movies. 

Ghost House Pictures

• Robert Gerard is the founder of Ghost House Pictures.
• Launched in 2002 and has produced 19 horror films
• It's most popular movies include The Possession, Drag Me To Hell, Boogeyman and The Grudge 2

Dark Night Entertainment 

• It was formed in 1999 by Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, and Gilbert Adler.
• When first formed, the goal was to remake Castle's horror films but starting with RocknRolla, the company began producing films in genres other than horror. Initially, most of the company's films were mostly critically panned
• Most popular horror films include: The Orphan, The Reaping, House On a Haunted Hill

Platinum Dunes 

• Created in November 2001 by filmmakers Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, and Andrew Form.
• The company specialises in horror films, particularly remakes.
• Platinum Dunes plan to branch out of the horror genre into action and thrillers with a new deal with Paramount Pictures.
• Most popular horror movies include: The Purge, Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Friday, The 13th 

Our Final Decision 

After researching different horror film production companies, we decided to choose Blumhouse Productions as my group and I decided it was the best fit for our horror film as ...

• Our film was low budget
• The type of films they have already produced have elements of our horror film in it e.g Paranormal Activity using a cam recorder screen.

The other production companies I researched seem to be branching out to do other deals with other genres of films but as we have done a horror film, we wanted a company who's main focus is still horror films.

Pre production experimenting

Pre production experimenting 

In this shot we were experimenting with the camera and how effective a fast pan would be to add tension whilst someone runs down the stairs as opposed to a low angle of the whole body. However we decided the mid shot from the side of the stairs allows a juxtaposition between the imminent danger and a seemingly neutral angle as opposed to an oblique angle which will instantly impose fear on the audience.

An initial idea for the plot was to have a stalker in her house so we decided to see what it looks like to record her bed from the mirror. Not exactly sure how well it would work due to the small size of the room and no way of seeing the mirror through the door we scrapped the idea as it would be obvious they were in the same room and she should be able to see the killer.

Fun flickering light...was supposed to add suspense for the final scenes but it did not come out as planned. Could be edited post production though.

Storyboard: edited version & our final plotline

Storyboard: editing version 

After reviewing our first storyboard we decided to change parts of our film opening. One of the major changes to our story line was the addition of a 'Youtube'-like beginning, where the main protagonist is filming herself (using a handheld shot). This is accompanied with a screen overlay of the 'REC' sign, we decided to include this because it is extremely common and modern to be 'vlogging' on youtube and other social media websites.

• We added several glitches and CGI effects from start to finish
• We cut out some of the 'boring' and tedious scenes where it could make the film opening quite slow.
• More tension and suspense was added by a scene of the killer preparing to 'kill' the character
• Tracking shots, extreme close ups, high angle shots and neutral shots are still included in the film opening
• We also included the title at the end of the opening 'The Unknown'
• Originally, we were going to name the film 'Ignotis' which is Latin for 'The Unknown', however we decided to scrap the idea because it would be difficult to explain the origins of the name.
• As mentioned in our focus group post, it was highlighted that our narrative was unclear therefore we redesigned the story board to make it more clear to the audience
• we decided that the main protagonist (Rachel) should also die and therefore is 'forced' to vlog her own death.  

Our final plotline:

The plot for our story is as follows:

• A young teen is 'blogging' her day and it is implied that the girl is a successful youtuber
• since she is an internet sensation - it is clear that she relies heavily on technology
• she talks about her boyfriend coming over and the planned day
• door bell rings, she makes it to the middle of the stairs
• power cuts off
• audience see blackness & hear panting
• young teen is forced to 'blog' her own death
• scenes of struggling by the young teen
• killer is seen, and has also killed her boyfriend
• montage of bf death and fast cuts of killer with glitches will be shown
• killer walks out of killing location (garage) 
• turns head and you can see the killer 
• (film title inserted after this)

This is a short, rough digital version of our storyboard:

Pulse trailer Deconstruction

The editing used when the girl walks into the room is really effective in building a sense of horror. It was used in conjunction with high frequency music and an animal scream whilst the screen became white for a short amount of time. By cutting between frames of the girl and glitches at high speed the importance of technology in the plot is suggested.  The extreme close up of her face when saying "oh my God" reveals the black marks around her eyes running, which suggests she has been crying, it then cuts to the typography after a very high pitch scream is heard. by doing so a sense of fear is created in the audience as the reason for her tears and the scream are not clear.

Maddy has a very plain face, which is typical for a final girl, though she may not be, her very loose fitted clothing does not give one the suggestion of promiscuity.
Her white T-shirt has red writing on it, this may connote that even the purist people will see blood shed, or have to shed blood.
Although her hair is not tied back it is a very simple hair style, nothing to fancy, this again fits in with the final girl theory.

This sequence is not an opening but a trailer, the use of glitch editing is something we would like to use in our opening as it conveys the idea of horror through technology.

The high angle used at the opening of the sequence may connote how regardless of their effort the imminent horror cannot be beaten. The colours employed at this scene are not very bright which is emphasised by the lighting which is low key denoting the lack of light in the situation, in the sense that nobody is aware of what is happening.

Character Profiles

Name: Rachel Bridgit

Age: 17

Occupation: College Student. Part time work in her free time for River Island

Hobbies/Interests: Fashion and Beauty. Enjoys 'vlogging' about her lifestyle

Part in film: main

protagonist

Name: Daniel Tyler

Age: 18
Occupation: Full time work at his dads plumbing business
Hobbies/Interests: Enjoys football and hanging out with his friends. Takes an interest in fixing things. One day hopes to run his fathers plumbing business.
Part in film: Protagonists boyfriend.

Name: The killer
Age: 20
Occupation: N/A
Hobbies/Interests: Computer Hacker, stalks girls and their lives
Part in Film: Main antagonist.

Fliming day checklist

Filming Day Items Checklist

Here are some examples of the props/ locations we needed for filming and these had to ne kept constant throughout our filming days.

• Camera
• SD card
• Costumes- pink top and blue jeans for the girl. Back mac and black jeans for the killer. Blue jeans and a jumper.
• Mise en scene- bedroom and garage
• Makeup- wounds (neck)
• knife for the killer- covered in fake blood
• Mask
• Members of group- 4
• Tripod
• Night setting- pathetic fallacy of the moon
• Garage setting available

Filming Days
We filmed for 8 hours on 3 different days and this footage was removed due to a change in character and plot idea. Our plot became too complicated so therefore we had to make it more simple for the audience by playing around with different plot lines. 

Saturday 19th December 

On this day I filmed the opening scene where my character is vlogging to the audience for her vlog. We made a simple script as a group and i then continued to recite this in the film so that i didn't spend too much time waffling. After gaining this footage we uploaded it to the computer off the SD card for editing.

Tuesday 21nd December
On this day as a group we filmed the murder scene of the male character, this involved us spending time on mise en scene as the male character had his neck slashed. We then located to my housegarage and filmed the murder scene, this took roughly an hour and a half to film as we got numerous camera shots from different angles and movements. After gaining this footage we uploaded it to the computer off the SD card for editing.

Wednesday 23rd December

The next scene we filmed was the main girl walking down the stairs and the lights black out in the hallway due to the killer turning the lights off at the mains supply. This did not take too long to film as it was quite simple.

Monday 8th Feburary
Saturday 26th March
For the above dates we edited and re-filmed all mistakes. The re-filmed days post can be found here