I have decided that as my film would be on a low budget I would target independent film companies to distribute my final product. For example companies like Film Four or Optimum Releasing, which have produced and distributed 'This Is England'.
An independant film can also be referred to as an arts film which differ from mass marketed films. In addition to being produced by independent production companies, independent films are often produced or distributed by subsidaries of major film companies.
One of the most popular film genres within America is the horror/thriller, therefore I would also have to employ a company like; IFC films to distribute my film abroad. The film would not be released into major cinemas, but maybe in Art Houses across America.
To get a big profit I would need to distribute my film globally.
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Monday, 22 February 2010
Prelim Task
Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom he/she then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180 degree rule.
As you can see from the clip above we chose to stick to the preliminary exercise plan. Our group did not break the 180 degree rule and we used a reverse shot when the suspect and the chief officer (me) were talking.
As you can see from the clip above we chose to stick to the preliminary exercise plan. Our group did not break the 180 degree rule and we used a reverse shot when the suspect and the chief officer (me) were talking.
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Pictures of the location
The pictures above show the location of where I am planning to shoot a couple of scenes for the opening of my thriller/horror movie. I took one of the pictures in sepia to see if I can use that throughout the opening. I feel as though sepia gives a more un-nerving atmosphere and it looks as though the picture has been take in the past.
I also like the picture of the mallet on top of the table. I may use this picture/shot within the opening and maybe cover it in blood, which will obviously be fake.
As I went down to take these pictures I felt increasingly scared when I realised what was in the image of one of the pictures. I noticed an old ladies head in the background of the 5th picture in. Its right at the back, left of the ladder and looks like a portrait painting. The next picture I took contained the white mist, that was when I got out of the barn instantly and came home. There are a few open spaces and this is where I wish to film Ellie tied up with rope and attempting to escape.
I think imagery and an abstract feel will come across at the beginning of my film, a bit like The Ring tape, symbolism and key features are the main ideas that I plan to use.
Monday, 8 February 2010
The ideas keep changing...
After seeing the locations the other day I am having to re draft my story board which will be uploaded on here through the pictures I take of the places I wish to use.
So far I have chosen to use the typical convention of 'enigma' within the opening of my film. I plan to do this through shots of different images within my locations e.g: the barn, Ellie tied up, Ellie escaping, then she runs away, image of a tractor so that the audience know where abouts the film is set. Then I would like to get a shot of her running through a tunnel under an old railway line and then her entering the woods with the 'baddy' hiding amongst the trees. Finally I would like to get a close up of the masked murderer and then a close up of Ellie lying on the floor with the mask on and fake blood running from the corner of her mouth. I think that will give the perfect 'enigma' feeling that a typical horror film conveys. After that I plan to have the title of the film come up with a low angle shot of the trees and then '6 months earlier'...
Also with each horror film I am watching I have noticed that music is played only when something bad is not going to happen to create suspense and a nail biting atmosphere. It tends to go silent when the actual scary moment occurs. I plan to do the same within my opening.
Target audience and socio economic grouping
As the genre of my film is horror, I believe there isn't a specific target audience or socio economic group. I believe that a person who wants to watch a horror film has to enjoy the thrill of the storyline whether they are male or female. Unlike me, who cannot sleep now as I have watched a few horrors and keep re-living the parts of the film that scare me the most before I go to sleep. Therefore my film would be for all types of people above the age of fifteen that enjoy the genre of horror.
I have enlisted the help of Ellie Tate, who studies drama, to take on the role of the protagonist. I believe she is reliable and trust worthy enough to help me make this film. However, I am still unsure as to who is going to play the masked murderer. All I know is that I would like it to be a woman.
So far I have chosen to use the typical convention of 'enigma' within the opening of my film. I plan to do this through shots of different images within my locations e.g: the barn, Ellie tied up, Ellie escaping, then she runs away, image of a tractor so that the audience know where abouts the film is set. Then I would like to get a shot of her running through a tunnel under an old railway line and then her entering the woods with the 'baddy' hiding amongst the trees. Finally I would like to get a close up of the masked murderer and then a close up of Ellie lying on the floor with the mask on and fake blood running from the corner of her mouth. I think that will give the perfect 'enigma' feeling that a typical horror film conveys. After that I plan to have the title of the film come up with a low angle shot of the trees and then '6 months earlier'...
Also with each horror film I am watching I have noticed that music is played only when something bad is not going to happen to create suspense and a nail biting atmosphere. It tends to go silent when the actual scary moment occurs. I plan to do the same within my opening.
Target audience and socio economic grouping
As the genre of my film is horror, I believe there isn't a specific target audience or socio economic group. I believe that a person who wants to watch a horror film has to enjoy the thrill of the storyline whether they are male or female. Unlike me, who cannot sleep now as I have watched a few horrors and keep re-living the parts of the film that scare me the most before I go to sleep. Therefore my film would be for all types of people above the age of fifteen that enjoy the genre of horror.
I have enlisted the help of Ellie Tate, who studies drama, to take on the role of the protagonist. I believe she is reliable and trust worthy enough to help me make this film. However, I am still unsure as to who is going to play the masked murderer. All I know is that I would like it to be a woman.
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Things are going well...
Yesterday I met with the farmer who owns the land that I wish to film on. I thought that he would briefly discuss where abouts I can go and what I can and can't do. However, I was hugely mistaken.
I turned up at 9.30am thinking that the 'meeting' would be over in about 10 minutes but oh no I left the farm at 10:45. He showed me the barn that I can film in and told me I can use whatever I want as long as I dont injure myself and others. Then. he took me out into the surrounding areas, to suitable places that I wish to film in.
He took me to a tunnel that was under an old railway track and ivy hung from the roof of this tunnel. Later on he took me to the old woods...30 acres of it. Its perfect. Its an open wood so all the trees are evenly spaced and it would be perfect to film the credits, using the tress like the director did at the beginning of 'The Village.' I got rather scared when he told me that at the end of the woods there was an old burial ground and if you stand on top of it you can see a well in the distance. The thought of 'Samara' came into my head!!
The farmer showed me all over the fields and that he is quite happy for me to use it as long as I call him before I head down to shoot. I cant wait to film now, especially in the woods!
I may head back down there in a few days to snap up some pictures of the different locations and post them on here.
I turned up at 9.30am thinking that the 'meeting' would be over in about 10 minutes but oh no I left the farm at 10:45. He showed me the barn that I can film in and told me I can use whatever I want as long as I dont injure myself and others. Then. he took me out into the surrounding areas, to suitable places that I wish to film in.
He took me to a tunnel that was under an old railway track and ivy hung from the roof of this tunnel. Later on he took me to the old woods...30 acres of it. Its perfect. Its an open wood so all the trees are evenly spaced and it would be perfect to film the credits, using the tress like the director did at the beginning of 'The Village.' I got rather scared when he told me that at the end of the woods there was an old burial ground and if you stand on top of it you can see a well in the distance. The thought of 'Samara' came into my head!!
The farmer showed me all over the fields and that he is quite happy for me to use it as long as I call him before I head down to shoot. I cant wait to film now, especially in the woods!
I may head back down there in a few days to snap up some pictures of the different locations and post them on here.
Thursday, 4 February 2010
'Changing Faces'
Over the last few days I have had a lot of ideas come to me after watching the beginnings of particular horror movies. As a result of this I have drafted up a story board, yet I am not sure as to how I make the story board clear on my blog. Therefore, I am going to tell you, on here, some exclusive ideas that I have had.
Firstly I have taken the idea of 'The Strangers' and have started to look up facts to do with murders within the UK and may use key facts on a black screen to heighten the suspense of my piece. Then cut back to the action after a fact has been displayed. That may not make any sense now, but it will do dont worry! After every piece of action there will be a cut and then another fact, so that it makes the audience wonder what is going on?!!
The last fact will be just before Ellie exits the woods, then the music will fade and all will be silent... oooohh! After that I plan to use a 360 degree pan of the area and nothing is around, just trees and a road. It will be easy to use a road as I live in an area where a lot of the roads are country back roads so barely any traffic comes along them...if they do...we move quick! After the 360 degree pan I plan to cut to a face in a car with a plain white mask on reving the engine and their head tilted to one side. My mum has offered to do this so it shall be amusing (hmmm)! I plan to do this shot in a close up, so that the back ground, type of car and number plate can not be seen and then I plan to enhance the sound post production. As I cannot film Ellie be hit by a car, as that would just be fatal and slightly ridiculous, the screen will go black and the title of the film: 'CHANGING FACES' will creep up slowly onto the screen in a white font. I have chosen to use white font because it is symbolic to the colour. After the title has been revealed I plan to cut back to the action and now Ellie is wearing the white mask, lying dead in the road, with blood dripping out of the corner of the mask...hense the title 'Changing Faces'
Lets see if I can put my ideas into reality....
Firstly I have taken the idea of 'The Strangers' and have started to look up facts to do with murders within the UK and may use key facts on a black screen to heighten the suspense of my piece. Then cut back to the action after a fact has been displayed. That may not make any sense now, but it will do dont worry! After every piece of action there will be a cut and then another fact, so that it makes the audience wonder what is going on?!!
The last fact will be just before Ellie exits the woods, then the music will fade and all will be silent... oooohh! After that I plan to use a 360 degree pan of the area and nothing is around, just trees and a road. It will be easy to use a road as I live in an area where a lot of the roads are country back roads so barely any traffic comes along them...if they do...we move quick! After the 360 degree pan I plan to cut to a face in a car with a plain white mask on reving the engine and their head tilted to one side. My mum has offered to do this so it shall be amusing (hmmm)! I plan to do this shot in a close up, so that the back ground, type of car and number plate can not be seen and then I plan to enhance the sound post production. As I cannot film Ellie be hit by a car, as that would just be fatal and slightly ridiculous, the screen will go black and the title of the film: 'CHANGING FACES' will creep up slowly onto the screen in a white font. I have chosen to use white font because it is symbolic to the colour. After the title has been revealed I plan to cut back to the action and now Ellie is wearing the white mask, lying dead in the road, with blood dripping out of the corner of the mask...hense the title 'Changing Faces'
Lets see if I can put my ideas into reality....
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
'There is no terror in the bang...only anticipation in the bang...'
...sadly not my words but the words of Alfred Hitchcock.
This week I have been watching the openings of particular thriller movies to interpret conventions into my own two minute beginning.
Firstly I watched the beginning of '28 days later'. I liked the way that the montage of clips, shown to the ape, were filmed using a hand held camera. As I don't have a high budget I will be using a digital camcorder to record my film. Also this makes the audience feel like its more real and naturalistic, therefore more scary.
I had watched 'The Village' previously and liked the way that the titles came up slowly on a background of tree branches moving upwards. Music also enhanced the suspenseful atmosphere so I may interpret these conventions into my own work. As the music will have to be non copy wright I may use an eerie piece of classical music to juxtapose the mood of my film.
Also, 'The Strangers' was another film I had previously seen. Through the use of montage clips from the end of the film at the beginning of the film, it put across enigma...basically what has happened/ happening? I also like the voice over at the beginning before the images, it put the story into perspective.
From these three films I am deciding on a final story, which will hopefully be storyboarded by the end of the week.
...ooh! I almost forgot, I spoke the owner of the land opposite to me, yesterday. He said that I was more than welcome to use it and he is going to show me round his barn and woodland area which I will use in the film :)!
This week I have been watching the openings of particular thriller movies to interpret conventions into my own two minute beginning.
Firstly I watched the beginning of '28 days later'. I liked the way that the montage of clips, shown to the ape, were filmed using a hand held camera. As I don't have a high budget I will be using a digital camcorder to record my film. Also this makes the audience feel like its more real and naturalistic, therefore more scary.
I had watched 'The Village' previously and liked the way that the titles came up slowly on a background of tree branches moving upwards. Music also enhanced the suspenseful atmosphere so I may interpret these conventions into my own work. As the music will have to be non copy wright I may use an eerie piece of classical music to juxtapose the mood of my film.
Also, 'The Strangers' was another film I had previously seen. Through the use of montage clips from the end of the film at the beginning of the film, it put across enigma...basically what has happened/ happening? I also like the voice over at the beginning before the images, it put the story into perspective.
From these three films I am deciding on a final story, which will hopefully be storyboarded by the end of the week.
...ooh! I almost forgot, I spoke the owner of the land opposite to me, yesterday. He said that I was more than welcome to use it and he is going to show me round his barn and woodland area which I will use in the film :)!
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