Main Film Task Evaluation

Main Film Task Evaluation

Pre – Production
Before we started filming, we did alot of research into our desired genre of film. We did a horror genre film so we analysed five film openings and three whole films. this gave us ideas as to what we needed to put into our own film openeing. We also looked at certain horror film production companies to get more to grips with what we needed to include in our film. All the research we did is in our folders and here on our blogs, and once the research was done, we started to film.

Filming
When it came to filming, there were a few disagreements as to where we should film. we eventually landed on Cofton Park. We assembled our team of actors and started shooting around 6 o'clock on the night. We found trying to get the right camera angles was hard as the ground in the park is very uneven. We had problems with the lighting during filming but to our luck, it helped with the authenticity. Once all our filming was done, we took our footage to the computers to begin editing.

Editing
With the editing underway, we quickly managed to get the order of our film down with little effort as we had filmed most of the opening in sequence. Once we had the basis down, we could start adding effects and sounds. This was very easy with the Apple Macs because they already had sounds and effects uploaded onto them. after putting the final touches on the film opening, we added the title and we were done.

Conclusion
Overall i think our group worked very well together even though there were a few small disagreements. The film came together very nicely and we had very little problems.

Preliminary Evaluation

Preliminary Task Evaluation

Pre – Production
Before we started filming we needed no plan what we had to do first so we could film with as little interruptions as possible. We first wrote down some ideas for what we wanted to do in the filming and eventually came to a decision. We then storyboarded our idea so we could see all the shots and how it would go together. We decided we would have a man (myself) barging into a door with gun in hand and ask a lawyer (Lizzie Maddocks) some questions about the whereabouts of some papers. We had to adapt some ideas due to conflict of opinion but eventually came to a joint decision about what the characters will say and do. With all this agreed upon and on paper, we turned our attention to filming the preliminary task.

Filming
For the filming we decided to film at my house as it had a good set up for the room we had envisioned in the storyboard. We changed the room slightly in order to get the correct shots we needed whilst trying to avoid any continuity e.g. time or change of lighting. This posed quite a problem when we were filming because we couldn’t decide whether to incorporate natural or artificial light. Eventually settling on artificial light we started filming. We shot each bit of the film about three times to make sure we got the best shot possible. This also helped later in the editing as we had a range of shots to choose from. During our filming, we violated the 180° rule and therefore need to go back and re-film the bits where we made the mistakes. This will set us back but hopefully we can get the bits we need and continue editing.

Editing
During editing we had to upload the footage that we shot onto the computers and edit it down to around a minute long. With the new footage uploaded it didn’t take us long to cut it down to around 40seconds. This time round we found editing a lot easier because we didn’t have any mistakes uin the footage and we had less to go through. Working with the other 2 people in my group was very easy as they co-operated very well and we got the work done in no time

Conclusion
In conclusion, I think we worked very well as a team and the preliminary task has set us on the right course to shoot our main project. I think we need to plan a little more and try and keep our time in order better for the main project.

How we are Conforming to the Codes and Conventions of a Horror Genre

-The opening is set in a large quiet forest at dusk, which connotes an eerie atmosphere and a forest is typical of a horror movie.

-We use a number of conventions that are commonly used in the horror genre such as, the cocky character gets killed first. The girl will become helpless and start crying as she’s that scared.  

Script Opening

Scene 1

(Group are walking down the road giggling and drinking)

Jack: Come on !!

Phoebe: Where you goin’?

Jack: In the forest

Connor: Jack you can’t go in there

Jack: Why not? It’s only Cofton Forest

Phoebe: Yeah the “haunted” Cofton forest Jack

Jack: It’s not haunted you silly cow!

Connor: Jack! Don’t fucking call her that

Jack: ooooo what you gonna do? Oh come on it’s not haunted, I promise

(Jack walks up to phoebe and gently strokes her face)

Jack: Oh come on hunny, I wouldn’t let anything hurt you

Phoebe: Get off me!

(Jack laughs and runs off into the forest)

Kate: Well come on (she walks towards the forest) we can’t just let him go in there on his own! 

Scene 2

(Jack runs out of sight of the rest of the group, when they find him, he is standing still looking at something in the distance.)

Kate: What you lookin’ at?

Jack: Oh doesn’t matter. Pass me a can, woman!

(Jack and Connor argue about Jack’s attitude towards women. Whilst Jack and Connor are arguing, Kate spots a strange figure in the distance. She enquires Phoebe and eventually tell the arguing boys.)

Jack Oi!!!

Kate: Shut up, you don’t know who it is

Jack: Probably just some drunk. Oi!!!!!!!!!!!

Connor: for fucks sake just shut up.

(Jack runs towards the strange figure ignoring comments from the rest of the group)

Phoebe: JACK!!!!

Connor: JACK!!!!

(Jack is stabbed, the audience see it from the groups point of view)

Kate & Phoebe: ARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Detailed Explanation Of Film Opening

After drinking a substantial amount of alcohol, four teenagers decide to go wandering into the forbidden Cofton Forest. The friends know they shouldn’t be there, but when Jack, ‘The lad’ tells them that it’s just a rumour and that the forest isn’t haunted they all decide to continue into the woods. Jack thinks the girls love him and he acts inappropriately towards Phoebe. However, Connor, Jack’s best friend, is in love with Phoebe and tells Jack to back off. Whilst the two boys are arguing, Kate notices a strange outline of a person and alerts her friends. All of them agree that they shouldn’t stay any longer and decide to head back to the road, except for Jack who thinks he can handle the strange man and starts shouting at him to come out. The friends think he’s just being stupid and try to shut him up, with Jack still shouting at the killer for him to come out from wherever he is. Before you know it, Jack runs in the direction of the figure and is ignoring  his friends calls. Moments later the group witnesses their friend being stabbed by the unknown person. Screaming, all of them run and try to find the road.

Main Film Task Synopsis

  

Phoebe, Kate, Connor and Jack are four drunken teenagers wondering in a nearby forest after a night out. Whilst they are in the forest they see an ominous outline in the distance. Jack, the cocky kid, goes to investigate but ends up getting stabbed repeatedly by the Villain, or so the audience is lead to believe. The other three see the “murder” and run for their lives, they eventually get split up trying to find the road. This was a mistake because they now can’t find each other. Once split up, they find themselves having to do whatever they can to stay alive. They find out that the villain is actually the father of Phoebe, and that jack has been working for him and was successful in leading the group into the forest. On discovering the identity of the villains, Kate lashes out at Jack but Phoebes father stabs her before she can touch Jack. They manage to escape the Villains and Connor consoles Phoebe and decides to make his move. However, Phoebe rejects Connor and he finds this hard to deal with and lashes out at Phoebe, and injures her. (Unknown to the group, Connor had a psychiatric problem and had not quite gone past it.) Jack and Phoebes father split up to find the two remaining teenagers. The film ends with Jack being killed and Phoebe stabbing Jack repeatedly. Phoebes father breaks his leg and Phoebe just leaves him on the floor of the forest to die.

Phoebe, Kate, Connor and Jack are four drunken teenagers wondering in a nearby forest after a night out. Whilst they are in the forest they see an ominous outline in the distance. Jack, the cocky kid, goes to investigate but ends up getting stabbed repeatedly by the Villain, or so the audience is lead to believe. The other three see the “murder” and run for their lives, they eventually get split up trying to find the road. This was a mistake because they now can’t find each other. Once split up, they find themselves having to do whatever they can to stay alive. They find out that the villain is actually the father of Phoebe, and that jack has been working for him and was successful in leading the group into the forest. On discovering the identity of the villains, Kate lashes out at Jack but Phoebes father stabs her before she can touch Jack. They manage to escape the Villains and Connor consoles Phoebe and decides to make his move. However, Phoebe rejects Connor and he finds this hard to deal with and lashes out at Phoebe, and injures her. (Unknown to the group, Connor had a psychiatric problem and had not quite gone past it.) Jack and Phoebes father split up to find the two remaining teenagers. The film ends with Jack being killed and Phoebe stabbing Jack repeatedly. Phoebes father breaks his leg and Phoebe just leaves him on the floor of the forest to die.

Summary of Findings

Generic Codes of a Horror Movie

-Dark/Low Key lighting

-Dark Clothing for the villains.

-Possibly brighter clothing for the heroes.

-Isolated setting – feel as though the victim is trapped, or has nowhere to go.

-Props – blood, knives, guns, masks, general household objects

-Cameras shots – close ups to see emotion of characters

-Camera movement is very fast paced when victims are fighting or escaping/running.

Generic Conventions of a horror movie.

-Helpless Victim – tries and tries to escape but the villain always manages to catch them.

-Naïve teenagers – don’t know what’s happening until it actually happens.

-Usually relates to the victims life in someway. But sometimes it is completely random

-Villain has a problem with victim or something about them

Theories

Propp

-Victim – usually a helpless teenager, but sometimes an adult.

-Villain – the person that sets out to kill the victim for some reason.

-Helper (good) – tries to aid the victim in some way, but is usually thwarted.

-Helper (bad) – they aid the main villain in trying to catch the victim.

-Hero – the one that eventually manages to kill the villain, could possibly be the victim.

Todorov

-The films start with a normal scenario, which the audience can relate to. The Equilibrium.

-This is then disrupted by the Villain intervening somehow. The Dis-equilibrium

-The victim manages to escape or kill the villain somehow and tries to return to normal life. New equilibrium.

Sound

-The sound used in generic horror movies is usually a low tined music which helps to create tension and mystery. The music usually comes in when we are about to see something change in the narrative e.g. someone attempting to kill someone.

-The music can get louder and louder when nearing a point of importance. This is how the film makers let the audience know this.