Filming Day

VLOG



On the day of filming, our group member Nimat was given the role to film our VLOG, to show us filming and everyone's roles during filming. The video above is our final outcome of the VLOG.

Location Recce

Final Location for Main Brief



For our final main brief, we ended up deciding to use an elevator on our school premises to shoot our opening sequence. This is because we had to find a location relatively quick and accessible. We had two locations in mind, which being the schools elevator or Westfield.


This is because we had to find a location relatively quick and accessible. We had two locations in mind, which being the schools elevator or West field.




We decided to choose our school elevator in emergency of re-filming, making it easier to all get there and re-call actors as it is more local.


We attempted to act out the scenes in order to figure out the positioning within the elevator.

Equipment Form

As no member in my group had a camera and tripod themselves, we had to fill out this form to borrow equipment from school. We had to make sure we booked our equipment in advance, therefore we returned it the following Monday and keep the equipment over the weekend just in case we had to re-film after reviewing the footage we had taken and not being pleased.

Camera Angles & Filming Practise

Camera Angles & Filming Practise



Close-ups are used to show the significance and importance of an object or examine someones facial expression. Extreme close-ups are used similarly to close-ups, putting focus on object or greatly examining emotion. Establishing shots reveal the setting/location of action and its Mise-en- scene.

Filming - Weather Update

For our main brief we are looking to film between the 24th and the 26th of October as these are days when the weather is set to be rather dull and would suit the mood of the scene. We have decided to keep our options open with three days in case it decides to rain one day or brightens up another day. We will look to do the majority of our outside filming on Monday the 24th as it is early in the week so if we spot any mistakes we still have the rest of the week to go back and make corrections. Monday is also the coldest day out of the three so will most likely attract the gloomiest weather and hopefully their will be less people around the area which we are looking to film - Waitrose car park and lift.



Monday 24th October- We are looking to film the second part of our opening on this day due to the gloomy yet dry conditions that are expected. For this we will require our female actor and a dead male counterpart. The female actor will be wearing either a black or a red dress to symbolise her dark and elusive character and this will be combined with black lipstick and stilettos. Our male character will be dressed in an all black tracksuit with possibly a baseball cap and earphones. He will be dressed like this to show off his normality in this scenario. We will capture on film our female character exiting the elevator and walking on into the car park. We will look to film this in the late afternoon or evening when there are less people around. This will not effect the lighting as the car park area is floodlit. If we have enough time then we will also try and film the elevator section of our opening as well however if we do not then we can look to film this part on either the Tuesday or Wednesday.

Organisation of Props, Location & Actors

Whatsapp Group Chat



The messages above show the group chat we created between our group in order to stay in touch. This was vital in organising.

We managed to correct problems such as locations and meet times over this chat when we hit a dead end and wasn't able to see each other. We also discussed actors, props and costumes through this media allowing us to constantly be organised.

Character Profiles

Blair Regan is a 16 year old student at a private all-girls school. She has the perfect life, living with her adoring parents and 2 sisters and brother. She is a national figure skater and is seen to be the perfect child however she has a double life and is quite reckless with things involving sex and drugs - engaging in horrifying activities that she keeps hidden from her family. She fears the unknown 'murderer' as she believes their victims were killed because of a crime, a crime that she herself has also committed. From this memory, she believes that she is next in line for death so isolates herself from the world and her family. She is possessed by an unknown entity that she is unaware of, and has been since her 16th birthday - when she lost her virginity. Regan enjoys reading novels, sewing, watching chick flicks, figure skating, ice-skating, and acting.










Owen Wilson is a 18 year old university student. He has a low paid job on the side of his education getting him through his stereotypical university student life.He enjoys and gets along with his life. He is without a girlfriend but has a large group of friends who he shares his accommodation during university. Owen's interests involve going to the theatre, watching films, playing arcade games, and bowling. During our opening he is a victim who gets caught in the wrong place at the wrong time where he was casually going home from the library where he was studying.

Casting Profiles

This is our actress we have cast and this is her profile. Phoebe Haroon goes to our school and her availability is quite flexible. This is really great for us we will be able to contact her very easily regarding re-filming.
We figured her height, shorter than the previous actress, will create an element of innocence as she seems childlike. This will surprise the audience as they underestimate her timid stance. We will use her scars as recounts of how many souls the antagonist has taken and devoured. This actress is also affordable. Her difficulty to focus may be a letdown as were are on a tight schedule and cannot afford to go over filming time in order to get the perfect shots or re-film.


Her costume is similar to the previous actress', with smaller inched heels.















This candidate was chosen as his nationality and ethnicity comply with the convention of the Caucasian male being targeted by the antagonist in a horror film. His blonde hair and blue eyes will be used to represent oblivion as the victim has no control over what happens to him. It is favourable that he is in a relationship taken so he doesn't show any love interest towards the antagonist. We have eliminated all traits of love and replaced them with pure evil and hatred. The punctuality is a must have as we will start to film promptly and can't have cast running late and slowing the production down. This actor is also affordable.



The picture below shows are original costume for our actor, however this may be altered with white top and different jacket. This is because we feel it will portray innocence due to being our main protagonist/victim.

Main Brief Props and Costumes.

List of Props and Costumes for Main Brief

LIST OF PROPS AND COSTUMES

Girl (ANTAGONIST)

• Black contact lenses
• Stilettos
• Black or red dress
• Long coat
• Bright red lipstick
• Black lipstick

Boy (VICTIM)

• Black tracksuit
• Black hoodie
• Earphones
• Baseball cap
• Trainers

Risk Assesment

The picture to the left is the risk assessment sheet which I filled out.

This risk assessment sheet is filled out for our main brief.

As a group we reviewed this sheet together and all agreed these are the risk we need to take into caution. 

However, one other risk which could be added, is theft. 

This is because theft does happen and is increasing which was supported by the statistic that the crime rate of theft has increased by 16% over the past 2 years.

Contacting and Finding Locations - Waitrose

Waitrose:

We originally planned to film at the Waitrose Store, Upminster. The group and I visited this location with our actors and camera to check out the location and take some recce photos. We was able to do this as the location is very accessible and not far from our school premises. So the plan was to check out the location and take some photos with our actors, which we took the shot of being able to get permission to test shoot that day and then film in the future. However, we was not able to film without contacting the head office to gain permission. So we took our recce photos and was given a contact card to ask for filming permission which is shown in the picture below. 

Then my group member, Nimat, had to call several managers and exchange emails so that they could get back to her about our filming request. The supervisor in the main head office then emailed her this form to complete.

Unfortunately they denied our request as we had gave them to short notice. Nimat carried on to try negotiate with Waitrose but it was unsuccessful.The picture below displays the email that was communicated between Waitrose and my colleague.

Waitrose Recce

Waitrose

 Recce

 Pictures

We originally chose this location as it is  isolated and grotty. This was to portray the darkness of our main character, the antagonist Blair Regan. 

This will also help add to the mise-en-scene and create more suspense and tension as location for our main brief.

Production Scheldule

Friday 7th October 2016: Begin constructing narrative and storyboard.


Monday 10th October 2016: Receive feedback on narrative from target audience.


Tuesday 11th October 2016 - Wednesday 12th October 2016: Act upon feedback and develop narrative.


Thursday 13th October 2016: Produce screenplay.


Monday 17th October 2016 - Wednesday 19th October: Make a character analysis of characters within the narrative.


Thursday 20th October 2016 - Friday 21st October 2016: Create a list of costume and props to be used for the Mise-en-scene.

Monday 24th October 2016: Go to Waitrose, Upminster and view the elevator and pathway needed for filming, take recce pictures.


Wednesday 26th October 2016: Go back to Waitrose, get permission.

Thursday 27th October 2016: If permission denied, go to school elevator take recce pictures, evaluate location.

Friday 28th October 2016: Film at possible/chosen location.

Saturday 29th October 2016: Look at footage as a group and decide whether or not shots need
re-filming due to not being in focus or a change in the narrative.

Sunday 30th October 2016: Re-film poorly lit and unfocused shots (if required).


Monday 31st October 2016 - Friday 4th November 2016: Edit footage.

Tuesday 1st November - Friday 4th November 2016: Gather feedback and take on board.


Monday 7th November 2016 - Friday 12th November 2016: Find and edit soundtrack and sound effects on top of footage.

Saturday 13th November 2016: Get feedback from as many people possible.


Monday 14th November 2016 - Thursday 17th November 2016: Create and position title and credits onto footage.

Friday 18th November 2016: Get final set of feedback.

Saturday 19th November - Sunday 20th November 2016: Watch edited opening and make a few changes if necessary.

Monday 21st November 2016: Watch opening again and finalise the main brief.

We'll have to communicate via WhatsApp Messenger to make sure these plans go accordingly as each member of my group has this app.

Storyboard Feedback for Main Brief

Storyboard and Narrative Feedback

Main Brief Storyboard

Blackout- Storyboard

Sheet 1 of Storyboard

This is our groups storyboard. 

On this first side on A4 sheet, we predominantly have production and distributors logos. 

The first shots that follow are parts of the antagonist, but not in detail so no information is given away.

Also the sound were using in this first sequence of shots is a horror soundtrack but really quiet to start with, which gradually is increased by the end.

Then on the second sheet, we are introduced to another character who's not the focus of the shot but can be seen in the background. 

We also have the disruption of the black eyes when the female blinks. We use a lot of diegetic and non diegetic sound here to signify the importance of this.

In the last sheet of the storyboard, the person in background is missing.

We then see this characters feet right at the end to show he has been killed.

Sheet 2 Storyboard

Sheet 3 Storyboard

Script/Screenplay

Our script consists of stage directions as there is no dialogue.

FADE IN:

INT. ELEVATOR - AFTERNOON




BLAIR REGAN, student, 16 years old, looks at elevator door as elevator music plays, standing still with her hands in her pockets.



STRANGER, male, listening to music at the back of elevator.


BLAIR REGAN takes hands out of pocket.

BLAIR REGAN starts tapping foot.

Elevator music plays

BLAIR REGAN, EYES change colour
(Music STOPS, loud noise of a BLADE cutting a BODY, BODY drops)

Elevator door OPENS



Elevator door CLOSES

BLACKOUT Roles

BLACKOUT 
Roles



 

Narrative Planning

We named our film 'BLACKOUT' because the darkness associated with this image resembles the fear of the unknown - a fear that is dominant in our opening. Moreover, when blackouts occur in an elevator, the location becomes a setting of paranoia as people try their best to escape the elevator.

Todorov's Theory- Equilibrium

The Narrative Theory

Todorov in 1969 produced a theory which he believed to be able to be applied to any film. He believed that all films followed the same narrative pattern. They all went through stages called the equilibrium, disequilibrium, acknowledgement, solving and again equilibrium.



There are five stages the narrative can progress through:


1. A state of equilibrium (All is as it should be.)


2. A disruption of that order by an event.


3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred.


4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.


5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium


My Main Brief


1) Where our protagonist is walking and taking the lift whilst listening to music.


2) The disruption is the antagonist at the end of our opening where her eyes are black. Leaving the protagonist on floor in elevator, either possessed or dead, this is left unknown.


3) 4) & 5) Is not shown in my main brief due to only being the opening of a film, the first 2-3 minutes.

Applied Example - The Purge Trailer

1. A state of equilibrium (All is as it should be.) - The family enjoying dinner happily at the start. Friends and neighbours all enjoying each others company.


2. A disruption of that order by an event. - Where it says 'all crime is legal' and shots of people being violent towards each other. The black man running around shouting for help and then the family lets him in.


3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred. - The family are approached by group of people with weapons and masks trying to break into the home to get the black man.


4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption. - Fighting back, hiding and surviving til the end of the purge.


5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium - Once the purge is over, the new equilibrium starts again for another year.

YouGov - Audience Research

Keeping in mind the end goal to comprehend about who precisely we will focus on our film at,  in some more profundity I have chosen to utilize YouGov Profiles. Here I can look into movies of a comparative sort to our own, for instance The Woman In Black 2, and utilize this data to adjust any thoughts for our film that may suit a specific group of onlookers. YouGov thinks about the socioeconomics, way of life, identity and even media center of the individual.

Below is the outcomes of using YouGov. It gives a target audience to the film Woman In Black 2.

What have I learnt from this research?


What I have taken from this research is that our audience is larger than we expected, and our viewers have unexpected hobbies than we anticipated. However, this is a great insight for my group and I due to being able to apply this information to further research and planning behind our main brief.