Faceless, Centre Number 61721/61740: Olivia

We've decided that the gender of our target audience is to be mostly female. Our killer is female, so we think there would be a mainly female audience.

As seen before in previous horror films, the killer is male and there is a large male audience (more than female). The killers being male makes the role seem more violent and intimidating to the audience so we want to see if a female killer can do the same, therefore changing the target audience.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Halloween (1978)

Friday the 13th (1980)

Scream (1996)

Monday, 29 February 2016

Sound evaluation

The same day that we filmed in the field for the second time (21st January), we went back to my house and recorded some sounds on my piano, where there is a voice setting of 'strings'. We thought this would be ideal to make our music on because it is the usual sound made in horror films and would conform to the genre.

The first sound that we recorded was a general backing track that lasted for two minutes. At the same time as recording, we had our film opening playing on another phone so that we could see when to build up the noise to add more suspense and make it more like a horror sound track - hence why 'faceless1' is two minutes long. The second sound recorded was a short burst of one of the higher keys, still set on 'strings', so at any point where it became suspenseful or at the pivotal point in the scene we could add it.

If we were to improve next time, we would discuss exactly the sound we needed instead of playing as we went along because since recording it, we added in extra shots that don't go with the soundtrack we made. We could have also made more that were different which would then allow us to have a choice and see which were better for the scene.

Overall we worked well together and got it done quickly so we were able to add in sound the next day of editing.

Filming Evaluation: Day four, 21st January

Day four of filming (re-film):

Due to the bad field conditions the first time that we filmed, we were unable to get a shot of Kelsey falling over for the scene. So, we used this day after school to quickly get back up to the field and re-film.

This was risky as we didn't know when it would get dark and we wouldn't know if it matched the colouring and lighting to the previous shots in the field, however it had started to get slightly lighter at night so the shot matched and we were able to get it on time. It only took a few minutes to film because it was just one shot we needed, however we decided to include match-on-action into the fall so it was easier to separate the shots for Kelsey to fall on the muddy ground.

To ensure that refilming would not be needed, next time we could go over the precise shots in detail so when filming came around we knew exactly what to do. This would include taking more measures into researching weather if outside, and bringing more equipment that could help (for example, Kelsey falling onto a towel that wouldn't be in the shot so it could have been made easier for her).

Thursday, 25 February 2016

Props evaluation

Before we made the opening scene we did many tests for different props that we could use, which ones looked the most effective and would be easiest to make quickly when we started filming.

At the killer's 'workbench', we had two or three of the knives that I created in my first prop creation experiments. That was when I tested fake blood on different hammers and knives. All three of them looked effective and could be used for different purposes. For example, the small serrated knife was placed next to Lucy, so that 1. it looked like it was used for the cut on her stomach, and 2. it was the best to cut rope with. The other knives were spattered with fake blood and placed on the bench for more effect.

The main weapon was the hammer. This was the most effective looking weapon for our horror film because its wooden handle and rusting metal end looked like a real weapon, and when blood was put on it, it blended nicely with the rust to look like dried blood (therefore used more).

Other props we used included the hanging body bag which was great because not only was it very graphic, but it was very easy to make and to hang. Kelsey walks into it at one point to emphasise that it's there and that it's a killer's lair, and she also hides behind it, so it served well for a few purposes. Another prop was the heart in the jar. Although it isn't seen very much, it's still gory and graphic enough to show the genre of the film.

Overall I think that we were successful with the props we used and created as they served many purposes in the scene, and made it look as much like a horror film as possible.

Film typography comparison

I decided to compare our opening scene typography to those of many famous horror films. We got inspiration from various films and used fonts that not just conformed to the genre but also suited the situation of our scene.

One of the most famous horror films, Saw, used very simple writing in promotional posters however used different writing in the actual opening scene. On posters, it is bold, sans serif red writing which is very simplistic. In the opening scene, it is a thin blue serif font that is wavy to reflect the water in the opening scene. This made it harder for us to choose which ones to use for credits and which ones for the main title.

Another example, Se7en, uses the same font for the credits as it does for the promotional poster. This is effective because it is based around a handwritten, shaky effect and is white. The other text on the screen is serif which is good as it shows the religious theme of the seven deadly sins.

In comparison, our typography and titles are loosely based around both of these. For the main title, our font is large, sans serif and the colours are red, black and white. The credits that show throughout are a font with 'spraypaint' in the title. We thought this was perfect because it looked spattered like blood, however we did it white because it suited the colouring more and stood out. It also didn't emphasise blood which suggested the fact that it's a psychological horror as well as slasher.

I think we did well with typography and choosing fonts because they seemed to be well suited to the scene and the feedback we received about the typography was all positive as everyone liked the font.

Lighting deconstruction: Scream

Scream was released in 2006 and is a slasher horror directed by Wes Craven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgKukhIw5eY

Lighting is important in making a film more effective and suited to its genre. In the opening scene of Scream, the lighting starts off bright in a large house. This gives the sense of safety and warmth so that the events that are to come are emphasised as more sinister and establish the genre.

As the scene continues and the character talks of the phone, we hear the killer say the first thing that is sinister and begins the anticipation for something scary - he asks for her name and when she asks why, he says 'so I know who I'm looking at'. Suddenly she turns the light on outside to see if she can see him, then turns it off and locks the door. While going around the house and locking everything quickly, she turns off lights so that the hue is no longer warm and comforting, but grey and cold. These colours intensify the sudden creepiness of the killer, who we can't see anyway, and take away the safeness to show the vulnerability of the character.

By the end of the scene, more lights are off and it is even darker, turning blue. Again this highlights the vulnerability and creates suspense because darkness is a main convention of the horror genre, building it up for many scares.

This ultimately shows how effective lighting is in making a film suited to its genre, because we are able to pick up the hints towards what might happen to the characters by the atmosphere and mood changing. We can take this into account when editing so darker colouring is used.

Peer feedback improvements

After showing our opening scene to people outside the class, a point that we had to improve upon was the placement of the credits.

When editing to start with, we thought it would be creative to fit the names into the shot by placing them on objects and parallel to straight objects you could see in the picture - for example, 'Kelsey Parker' lies parallel to the edge of the crate that Lucy, the dead body, is lying on.

Feedback we got for this was that although it was creative and worked well, some of the text was too slanted in order to fit the picture. There is a part of the clip where the name 'Kelly Wilson' comes up as the role of the costume creating, when as the killer I'm chasing Kelsey in the field. It lies in the direction of the path on the screen, and looks too slanted compared to the minor slants that the rest of the credits were at in order to fit in well. Therefore it looks out of place and makes the part messier and less professional.

There were a few more credits that were the same which we also changed, but this one was the most tilted. I went back to Final Cut Pro and clicked the text, choosing a more suitable place on the screen for it to go where it could still be tilted to fit in somewhere. I chose the grass next to the path as there was no real parallel line to fit it with so it went anywhere in there. Once moved into the grass, I changed the slant down from 45 degrees with the slider, so it looked a lot better.

This was definitely needed feedback as it suited the credits of the opening scene better, making it look more polished and efficient.

Editing: improvements on credits

Some feedback we received said that it was confusing when the names appeared on the screen too long after their role in the film showed up.

So, we went back to Final Cut Pro and edited the credits so the name and role were a lot closer together. I had to edit out some of the names because when we inserted them before, to make the space between them we added one text piece for the role and the next one for the name a few moments later. Editing out the names and deleting the text piece was what I had to do to change this, and I had to put the names back into the text piece that appeared with the role on the 'text line two'. This was good feedback for us because it makes it less confusing and distracting to the scene.

Monday, 22 February 2016

First draft: feedback

After viewing the first draft of our coursework piece, we were given feedback from every other group.

Feedback was mainly positive, however depending on the improvements we have to make changes to our video. This feedback we aren't able to change, as that would mean re-shooting our piece and we are unable to do so.

This feedback is constructive as we can easily change the titles to make them closer together. It is understandable to change them as the credit and name of person were a few seconds apart and so didn't connect very well.

This is simple to achieve because we have some more time to think of music to make. The scream seeming unrealistic is difficult to re-record because it really was part of the scene and it was Kelsey's scream as we filmed. We won't change this, but can create better music that sounds better than what we already have.

The feedback we received is helpful because the changes we make can end up seeming like better decisions to us and also help us make improvements to make it look more professional.

Sunday, 7 February 2016

Sound editing

After creating the sounds we needed for the scene, we had to incorporate them into different parts in the background that would sound appropriate. Unfortunately the sounds that we made were basic and just the one instrument didn't sound professional, so even though we used them at certain points, we still had to edit in some horror sound effects.

We looked up non-copyrighted horror sound tracks and looked through videos until we found one that was appropriate and suspenseful enough for the chase scene at the end. We also looked for more basic ones that would run through the whole time and overlapped with the ones that we made to make it sound better. This didn't take long yet still sounded professional, because we edited it to go along with different parts of the scene and added the options of fading in and fading out - something we used when the main title ('Faceless') appeared.

If there was anything that could have been changed, it would be that we could have made all of the soundtrack and used it because it would provide us with a more original piece, but it also allows us to know that we should plan for next time to make it as good as possible.

Editing - continuity

One of the main reasons that we had to re-film parts of our opening scene was down to poor continuity. We noticed as we were editing that many things were wrong with the shots. For example, between shots, Lucy (who plays the dead body in the corner) helped with figuring the next shots and getting the camera set up, then we realised that she forgot to get back in the position she was in. Also, in one shot her arm is limp by her side, then in another it's resting on a surface. For this reason we had no other choice but to re-film and we established the shots beforehand to make sure it ran smoothly.

Another challenge with continuity is match on action. This was incorporated into shots such as the door opening as I entered the 'lair', where there were shots from my point of view and shots from inside. There is also a shot in the field where Kelsey, the victim, falls over. We angled this from different shots to add match on action but to also make it easier for Kelsey to fall over. It was very easy to edit these to make them flow and we managed to make it look professional.

Thursday, 4 February 2016

Costumes evaluation

For filming, I wore all black and my mask, Kelsey wore a white t-shirt and black leggings, and Lucy wore a white crop top and leggings - all exactly what we were planning on wearing.

Wearing all plain black makes me look more intimidating as the killer and means that the mask stands out more on the outfit as the defining characteristic that killers have in most films. Kelsey and Lucy wearing white allows us to make dirt show up better and their exposure makes them look more vulnerable, conforming to the conventions of victims in horror films.

To improve upon this if we did it again, I think we could have made the victims' outfits dirtier with mud and more fake blood, and also tear the material to look more worn so they were even more like they'd been dragged by a murderer. To improve on my outfit as the murderer, we could have got a more used coat that looked old and torn it, as well as putting more fake blood on the clothes. This would have made it more graphic and conform to the horror genre.

Monday, 4 January 2016

Lighting check

Our second day of filming requires us to go to the field. This means we have no control over the lighting on the day, so I've decided to go to the field at different times of the day to see when the light changes and see when is best for us to film.

With the general weather, there are no times during the day where it looks different as the sky is always clouded over apart from when it starts to get darker at around 3.30pm.

These pictures were taken an hour apart, one at 2:30pm and the second at 3:30pm:

I think that the best time to film is from 3pm onwards as it will gradually get darker while filming so will look darker and more effective for the film.

However, this also means we will have to establish the shots first and film them in the exact order, as if we miss a shot and film it after the rest are done, the continuity of the lighting will be poor.

Sunday, 27 December 2015

Editing deconstruction - student made opening

I am deconstructing a student-made film opening for editing because it gives us a more realistic sense of how to edit ours. It shows us what we will and won't be able to do so that we can edit easily, not having to deal with anything extreme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUeDPezd8m8

This opening scene is about the army at war. As the war is happening, there shots are very short and fast paced, allowing the scene to seem like it is faster, and build intensity and excitement. The shots are handheld which also reflects this and adds urgency to the setting.

Jump cuts are used to establish another shot, which is edited using eye-line match. A character looks over to two other 'soldiers' and the camera cuts to them from where he is, so we can see what he sees.

There is one use of match on action when the main character is reloading the ammunition in his gun - it provides different angled shots of it happening. They made this look effective because they did it so the continuity was perfected, looking more professional.

Shot-reverse-shot is used between two characters when they're yelling at each other over all of the gunshot noises and explosions. This establishes our relationship with the characters and their relationships with each other, as even though you can't hear exactly what they're saying, their actions afterwards hint to what they said.

The use of special effects is amazing - they used CGI to edit in helicopters used in the army, and to add explosions. This is extremely effective in their piece as it creates excitement and makes it seem very real and dramatic. However, it would be very hard for us to create CGI images and we wouldn't have anywhere to use it that would make sense, and would therefore be pointless.

The editing proves to be very important because it creates different emotions that the audience feel, like fear and tension. Continuity is extremely important because it establishes the overall smoothness of the piece and if it isn't done correctly, can make it look unprofessional and messy.

Thursday, 17 December 2015

Camera angles deconstruction - student-made scene

I am deconstructing a student-made scene because it enables us to see how effective others are at making the film look professional using camera angles, and to see how filming will be for us (if we can incorporate any effective camera angles that we see).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RtH0oiBerk

This scene opens with an establishing shot of the area to show where the scene will take place. The shot fades out into the titles, then back into a pan mid-shot of two characters as they walk together. This again fades into a screen with the two actors' names, building suspense as it cuts away from the scene. It follows them to a bench where the camera then tilts downwards as they sit down to keep level with them. There are a few shots of the couple together before it fades again, adding possibly more actors' names.

Paralleled with a sinister non-diegetic soundtrack, there is a point of view shot from the killer as he looks through trees at the couple from behind. This cuts to a shot of the couple laughing, adding a sense of danger and tension because this contrasts to what may happen to them. There is a mid shot of the two standing up and walking away from the bench / log they were on, and then another killer POV shot as they start to walk through the woods.

The killer's POV shots are handheld to make the shot look more natural like it is what someone is seeing exactly, and the shakiness makes the killer seem more unstable mentally. There is then a long shot of the killer in the woods, and we're unable to see him because of it being so far away and the branches of trees covering him up. This boosts the suspense momentarily as we see the killer.

Another still, long shot of the couple walking hand in hand, showing the setting again. The setting is calm and peaceful and the snow makes it look very clear, however it's surrounded by many trees making it look more isolated. There is a side-on shot of the couple as they look out over the lake which is full of ducks and birds.

Immediate suspense and dread is felt as there is another killer POV shot and he is right behind the couple, walking up to them slowly. It again fades to another credits screen like it has throughout, making us anticipate the next scene because it has cut away at the most suspenseful part. There's another side-on shot of the couple and the girl steps forward and out of the shot, then a very quick mid-shot of the boy and the killer right behind him about to kill him (which made me jump). This cuts away to the title of the film.

Camera angles are very important in this film opening as they allow the scene to establish so we understand what is happening and what may happen next. This shows us that they're very powerful to the scene so we will have to think about the specific ones we will use in our scene to make it as effective as possible.

Practical: killer's mask

Inspiration

This mask will be reminiscent of the mask worn by The Scarecrow in Batman Begins. We think that this is effective because it is easy to make but still looks scary and makes the killer look more insane.

Things I needed:
- hessian sack
- needle and black thread
- scissors
- fake blood + water + black food colouring

To start with, I had to wear the sack over my head to get the marks for where I'd cut out the eye holes. When I took it off, I cut small slits where the marks were and pulled it to make it look ripped and messy.

Next I made a long frown-like cut slightly lower than where my mouth was and pulled parts of it again. I then used the black thread to sew up the mouth like the Scarecrow's with varying lengths of the thread for each line. When I got to the end, I went back over the lines again to make them thicker so they're easier to see.

Finally, I mixed a few drops of fake blood with a little bit of water and added black food colouring to make it darker. This would make a 'blood stain' that I spattered over the mask so it looked old, used and ultimately gorier.

I was happy with the finished product as it was easy to make and looks effective. However, it took a long time to sew the lines in, and the pictures I took make the blood stains look lighter and pinker, so I will have to make it even darker. Also, I may add more stitches scattered over the mask to be more like the Scarecrow's because it looks too new and not messy enough.

Thursday, 10 December 2015

Planning for Filming

Dates

We have arranged three dates to meet, two in December and an extra day if needed in January. On Wednesday 23rd December, Lucy and I will get a bus into town to be picked up by Kelsey and go to Gravesend to film in the garage (the lair). Our second day is Monday 28th December where we will all meet in town, get the bus to my house where we will be filming the field scene and get changed into our clothes we'll need to wear then. Sunday 3rd January is an extra day if there are still parts of filming we need to complete. If all goes well, we won't need to use this day.

Responsibilities

- Kelsey will be bringing the camera and props that she has made (killer's journal)

- Lucy will bring props she has made (mask, bodybags, heart, knives), and makeup for creating cuts

- I will bring the tripod, costumes, props (knives), and fake blood

Thursday, 3 December 2015

Sound decontruction of a film opening

A Nightmare on Elm Street

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn_DjzN8410

The opening scene to A Nightmare on Elm Street begins with the noises of heavy breathing that is heard over machinery and the killer making tools out of metal. This is effective because hearing the human above the other sounds that should be louder makes the killer seem more dangerous than any of these items. The many diegetic sounds include filing / sawing metal, using a blowtorch and tapping metal to mould it into shape. This is accompanied by non-diegetic soundtrack of high pitched strings playing quietly in the background to build tension and suspense.

When the titles appear, the soundtrack starts to play a tune of two notes still of strings. The killer pierces his glove with knives on the fingers through a sheet of material which is accompanied with a scream, heightening the fear felt by the audience. The soundtrack gets lower and a woman runs down a corridor where there is dripping heard from pools of water on the floor, which is an easy sound to make. As she makes it to the end of the corridor, the soundtrack gets louder which generates more suspense and there is low, evil laughing heard at some points by the killer, who remains unseen, creating fear of the unknown in what is about to happen.

There is then more breathing before the woman turns around at a jump and a sheep runs into the corridor too, then there is a high menacing laugh, still unseen. The woman breathes in heavily at the scare and runs away. She climbs stairs in what appears to be a factory that is creating these metal, machinery and steam noises. There is a noise of a cog turning slowly and squeaks of machines as she still looks around, moving quickly. The camera pans down from where she is on a path above to the ground below where there’s a shadow that slowly moves and a laugh is heard again, building more and more fear.

She slowly walks through a narrow path where steam is heard and seen coming out of machines, and then the killer scratches his metal claw against a pipe to create a high squeaking noise. She turns towards it and we can see his claw tearing through material again and tearing downwards, making a ripping noise and his silhouette bursts through, and she starts to run away, breathing heavily and shrieking. She tries to hide but it is a dead end and he catches up, and she screams extremely loudly. However he walks past and there are many sheep and childlike noises again that get quieter. She walks forward slightly, confused, and then he bursts up behind her and shouts loudly, making her scream very loudly again.

This ends up being a dream and there is knocking on her bedroom door when she wakes up in a fright, and her mother talks to her for a minute before leaving.

The sounds used are very effective in this opening scene because they add a sense of horror and fear, and build a lot of suspense for jump scares which are always in horror films. All in all, most of these noises can be recreated quite easily. We wouldn’t ever be able to film in a factory that would make the machinery noises so couldn’t make them, nor would it be easy to make steam sounds from pipes. The rest of the diegetic sounds would be simple and effective to use to build fear in the audience. The non-diegetic soundtrack would be easy to make for me because there is a ‘voice’ setting on a piano I own called ‘strings’ and plays string music, so it is quick and wouldn’t cost anything to make or take a lot of effort.

Costume ideas / inspiration

Killer

The killer in our film opening will wear clothes conforming to the conventions of costumes in a horror film. I own a pair of black combat boots that were originally my brother’s when he did cadet training, but he gave them to me after. I can use these to scuff up and make them messy and spatter blood on like they have never been cleaned.

Again conforming to the genre, black jeans and a black t-shirt will be worn that I can make look ripped, and a black jacket will be worn over the top.

Drawing our main inspiration for the mask from the Scarecrow in Batman Begins, a hessian sack will be used, torn in some areas and sewn up roughly just like the Scarecrow’s. Blood can be spattered on it to make it dirty and look like it is always worn, even after the bodies are brought back to the lair.

This is a very easy costume and will take no time at all to make, and will also look like an effective killer’s costume where the identity is hidden behind the mask.

Victim(s)

The main character and the victim of our piece will be in simple, casual clothing. Kelsey will wear leggings or jeans and a light coloured t-shirt. Her hair will be scruffy and matted by mud or blood, showing that she has been dragged there. This is the simplest outfit that we could think of, easy to make and will make her look as vulnerable as possible in the casual, soft clothing. In the lair, Kelsey will have bare feet and runs out, so she will be running in the field with no shoes on.

As for Lucy (who will be a previous victim in the lair), she will be inside and can wear clothing that makes her look more exposed to harm and doesn't have any sort of guard. She will wear leggings and a white crop top.

These are inexpensive outfits that have a lot of effect as they conform to the horror genre and highlight the vulnerability of each of them. Also, the bodies wearing similar clothing is effective as it shows that the killer thinks that they’re all the same and all there for the same reason.