Research and Planning: Test shots

Here is a test shot of some of the locations I have filmed, not all of these shots will be in the trailer but the same locations will be used.

Research and Planning: Plan for the week

This week I'll be uploading my film to begin editing, this means that I'll also be looking to start creating the music.

Research and Planning: Animatic Storyboard

I have created an animatic storyboard detailing each of my shots, the music I have used in it was not created by me and that piece will not be used in my actual trailer.

Research and Planning: Draft of a film poster

I have created a draft for a film cover I am considering. I have followed conventions while taking inspiration from other zombie film posters with the character stood alone in the centre of the poster.

Research and Planning: Actor release forms

I have created an actor release form for myself since I'll be acting in it.

Research and Planning: Weather

I was planning on doing some filming outside but due to heavy snow it means that I'll either have to wait until it clears (which may leave me near the end of the deadline) or film everything with snow in shot, I'm doing this because I want to keep it consistent.

This weather report shows the weather for the next 5 days, I may find I'll need to start filming again although I will keep my original footage.

Research and Planning: Test filming

This morning I have been out testing locations where I will be filming the flashbacks, I had to go out early to avoid passengers at the trainstation I now know what the good times for filming are so I'll be filming the real thing next weekend.

Research and Planning: Props

I have got together all of the props I will need including what I listed on the previous post and a mask to cover the actors mouth. I now am going to start some designs for a few emergency posters which will be in the trailer.

Research and Planning: Risk assesment form

I have created some risk assessment forms for each of my locations, in these I have included possible difficulties which I might find when I begin filming.
Garage

 Park

 Trainstation

Research and Planning: Location recces

I have taken some photographs of the locations I'll be filming, so I have filled out some location recce forms.

Research and Planning: Storyboard

This is a more updated version of my storyboard which I am using to plan my current film.

Research and Planning: Publication Plan

Publication Plan on Prezi

Research and Planning: Draft of a magazine cover

I have created a quick draft for my magazine cover, I have scanned it in and I will use it when I come to create the magazine. I have followed conventions with the masthead along the top and on it are typical things you would find such as sub stories, I will include an image of the main character from far away to advertise the film and add mystery.

Research and Planning: Magazine covers

The first magazine cover I have chosen to analyse is a cover for Empire magazine, I have chose this specific cover because the main feature on it is I am Legend, a film which has inspired me.These are some of the things I have noticed about the genre representation:

• On this cover Will Smith is covered in a thick fog, there are some shapes which can't be properly seen behind him, and this makes it mysterious.
• The character also looks weak but is carrying a gun which suggests survival.
• The picture doesn't really say much about the film and I like how it acts more as a teaser as there isn't as much said as the posters for the film which show the location etc.
  

Some of the typical conventions of this magazine are:

• On the magazine there are a lot of subheadings advertising what is in the magazine.
• The header is in big red letters so it's easy to see.
• Above this it says 'BEST WINTER PREVIEW EVER!' which is another draw for the audience.
• Along the bottom are shots from films which are inside the magazine.
• To differentiate the different sub headers they alternate in colour from red to white.
• The target range for this magazine is very broad with films for adults like Rambo and I am Legend being advertised but also The Golden Compass and the big bright fonts may attract younger readers.
  
• There is a barcode and a date and price.
  

The second magazine I have chosen is Empire magazine featuring a Terminator Salvation cover, while this isn't the genre I wanted it does have a similar feel with the survival and a destroyed earth. There are some things I like about how the genre is represented:

• I really like the brown colours used they show that there isn't any colour left in the world and nothing to hope for since everything is muddy.
• The is a close up of the main character it's only half though so it adds uncertainty about him.

The magazines layout is much like the previous magazine I have discussed:

• The big red font attracts the audience, especially against the brown background.
• There are less sub stories than the other, there's a bigger focus on the main story.
• There are shots of other films featured along the bottom.
  

Research and Planning: Location photographs

Yesterday I went out to take some photographs of the locations I may decide to use, you can see them below. I'll be filming in these locations in the next couple of days.

Research and Planning: Micro elements

In my trailer I will be in charge of all elements being Mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is going to be my most important element, I am going to be concentrating on trying make the garage look messy and disused, as the main character will not be very well visible I won't be concentrating on him so much but I will make an effort to find suitable dark clothes.

Cinematography

Cinematography will have to be interesting because it will mainly be shot in the same place apart from the cutaways. In the cut away I'll have to make the environments interesting otherwise the audience will be bored looking at them. The camera will be placed in different positions around the character to give different perspectives of the workbench.

Editing

Editing in the trailer will be slow paced, the shots of the character will fade to black when he marks the map and the shots of other environments come on the screen. Then these will fade out again and it their will be another shot of the character in the garage.

Sound

There will be a narrative from the character which will be in a voice over. In the shots of the environments there will be an atmospheric sound which will stop when it goes back to a shot of the character. At the end of the trailer I may put in some music when it comes to the conclusion and he says what he's going to be doing, this may fade back to the atmospheric sound when the title of the film comes on the screen.

Research and Planning: Plan for the rest of the week

By the end of the week I'm hoping to have done these things:

• Have a title and font for my film ready.
• I'll have decided on my locations and taken photographs of them.
• Use the photographs to begin planning a poster.
  
• Collected the props I will need.
• Begin filming.
  

Research and Planning: Conventions of a film poster

To make my poster look like a film poster I will have to follow the typical conventions of a film poster. The poster will have to tell a story through both the picture and the tag line but it will still have to hold some mystery. To follow the typical conventions of a horror poster my poster will probably be dark, and like a typical apocalypse poster my hero will be standing alone in the centre of the poster alone (28 Days Later), but this isn't just seen in posters when the character is the last one on earth, films which feature outsiders also have these kind of posters, an example being Watchmen.

In most film posters the title of the film is big so the audience can't see it, the tag line is beneath is and lets the audience know what it's about in a short line. In horror films there are not normally the names of stars because big stars don't usually do horror films as the audience are attracted by how scary it is. A date is also necessary so the audience know when it will be released.

Research and Planning: Poster analysis

I think this is a great poster for the genre and I will take inspiration from it when I'm planning my poster. I like how the character is small but central against the background as if it's swallowing him up and closing in around him. By walking alone it shows that he is the last one left with the dog as his only companion. To shock the audience their is a well known landmark destroyed behind him, seeing something familiar destroyed will make them feel uncomfortable, it may also show that the characters only escape back to civilization is destroyed. I like the colours of the poster, they're like a sunset which is just before the vampires come out in the film, they also give the impression that there is not much colour left in the world since the outbreak. The tag line 'The Last Man On Earth Is Not Alone' gives the audience an idea of what the film is about, as the actor is a big star his name is along the top and bigger than any other text on the poster. The name of the film is smaller with the production names beneath and the release date beneath that.

Research and Planning: Third plan

I have changed my idea again and thought of another plan for my teaser trailer, it's still going to be a zombie film although it's going to be more about the character, with less emphasis on the zombies. In this trailer there is a man in a garage, he is at a desk with a lamp on the desk which is resting on a lamp. There is a voice over spoken by him as he explains his situation, he is looking for a drug which will stop him from turning into a zombie and as he mentions an area he could get it he marks it with a pen and a shot of it is shown on screen after seeing three or four of these he decides he needs to head to a danger zone, he stabs the map with his knife and an over the shoulder shot shows him cocking his gun, rock music is playing while he does this. The name of the film comes on the screen and there's an atmospheric sound.

Research and Planning: Props and costumes

I have created a list of props and costumes I'll need when creating my teaser trailer these things I already have access to or I'm planning on buying.

• Children's toy - In the shot of the park there will be a children's toy lay on the floor, this will show it's been quickly deserted and unsettle the audience.
• Map - I will be using the map in the scenes with the hero, it will be marked with marker pens which he has drawn on.
• Marker pens - I will be able to provide my own marker pens to lie next to the map the hero will use them.
• Knife - The hero will use the knife to stab a marker onto the map.
• Lamp - A lamp will light up the workbench he is working on, I'm planning on this being the only source of light to light up his arms.
• Gun - I may need to buy a toy gun to hold in a holster, in the dark this will look realistic.
• Black clothes - The main character will be wearing black clothes, I'll be able to provide these.
• Tape - I'll be using tape in my trailer because the character will be working with it.
• Tools - I may be using a selection of tools like hammers and nails.
  

Research and Planning: Equipment and software

This is a list of equipment and software I am going to be using during this project:

Equipment

• Video camera - To film my trailer.
  
• Digital camera - To take photographs for my magazine and poster.
• Mac - I will work on a mac when I'm at college.

Software

• Photoshop - I will use Photoshop to create my poster and magazine.

• Garageband - I will use Garageband to create music and edit the sound.

• iMovie and Final cut express - I will use these at college when I'm creating my trailer.

When I'm working at home I'll be using different software:

• PC - I will work on my PC when I'm at home
• GIMP - GIMP is an image editing software, similar to Photoshop. I will use it to edit the poster and the magazine.

• Windows Movie Maker - If I need to edit something at home I will use Windows Movie Maker but if I will try to do all of my editing at college since Windows Movie Maker is very basic.

Research and Planning: Storyboard

I have created a rough draft of a storyboard to accompany my initial idea, my idea has altered but I was expecting it to when I come to draw it out.

Research and planning: Production schedule

I have used Microsoft Excel to create a production schedule which will help me keep my work on track. I have typed in what I will be doing and coloured squares which represent the dates, by looking at this I will be able to look at this to see what I should be doing to stay on track.

Research and Planning: Cinema

I have been on a trip to the cinema to watch the trailers before the movie and maybe use them for further inspiration. Unfortunately due to the age rating of the film the trailers were not a similar genre to the one I'm going to be making my trailer for but it's still good research.

The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet is an action comedy so the editing of this trailer was very fast paced. There is rock music playing over the action and the music cuts on the punchline of a joke which is common for a trailer of a comedy.




Due Date
Due Date is a comedy but unlike the Green Hornet the editing isn't quite as quick until about mid way through when a quick edited montage results in a blackout from a car crash. The jokes are much more played out in this trailer.

Research and Planning: Sound

In my last lesson I created a song on Garage Band which has prepared me for creating sound for my trailer. In this sound clip I have used three different types of music you might find in an action movie, which was the movie I had been given.

Research and Planning: Second idea

I have changed my mind about my idea and instead I have decided to do something different, like last time it will be shot in the countryside with the main character dressed in big hiking gear, while scavenging from a body the body jilts and the trailer ends. Each shot is separated by a black screen and the sound of something running. This teaser is much more of a story without a clear ending as when the zombie rises above him the trailer ends, this leads the audience to wonder whether he will be the main character or whether he was just in the trailer. I have created a storyboard for this trailer which will give a much clearer view of what I want from the trailer.

Research and Planning: Outline idea

The trailer begins and a man is sat on bench on top of a hill overlooking a town, he has a bag beside him which is holding pots and pans. There is silence apart from the wind and the man is enjoying it. There is static and a news reporter appears on the screen he is surrounded by darkness, his tie is loose and his sleeves are rolled up he is saying something but it is mostly inaudible, this statics out. The camera is positioned on the floor, something runs past it accompanied by snarling sound effects. The news reporter appears on screen again this time he's stood up with his hands on the desk, he looks panicked and is shouting at the camera but theirs static and he can barely be heard. This fades to black and long shot of a empty street is shown, the camera is low and positioned in front of it is a poster, on the poster is a bio hazard sign and a warning notice, the there is silence apart from birds and a distant alarm which is barely audible, this fades to black. There is a long shot of the man while he puts his bag on starts to move on. Then there's another long shot from a low angle far away which shows the man in the centre, the zombie from before sprints past the camera and towards him. There is a close up of the man as he turns his head, an extreme close up of the man eyes show him close them tightly. The screen becomes black and the name of the film followed by the release date fades from black, it is accompanied by an atmospheric sound.

Research and Planning: September podcast

I have created a podcast detailing what I have done over the past month, in it I have talked about creating my test movie, my test poster and my pitch amongst other things.

Research and Planning: Preferred Audience

After giving people a questionnaire so I could gather some research, looking at the results from my questionnaires along side other research I conducted, I have come to a decision on my target audience for my teaser trailer.
After looking at the results from the votes given to 28 Days Later on IMDB the majority of votes came from males between the ages of 18 to 29, so an 18 seems to be the best choice. To make sure the results were reliable I have also looked at the results from another film of the same genre, this time Dawn of the Dead, which returned similar results with the most votes coming from males 18 to 29. As the zombie genre draws in the most votes from people this age then I will make my film an 18 age rating.

28 Days Later IMDB votes

I believe my audience socio-economic group would be students (Group E), I think they have an interest in the zombie genre through other medias, they may interested after playing video games like Resident Evil or have an interest in the other horror films such as Night of the Living Dead.

Research and Planning: Researching conventions

A teaser trailer is used to advertise an upcoming film, they can show clips of the film and build excitement and mystery around the film. For a highly anticipated film the teaser trailer may not show much or reveal much about the main character but the teaser lets the audience know the film is coming and it will build up a buzz.

Trailer 1


I used this trailer in my earlier analysis and it does parallel what I aspire to create.



I like this trailer because although it shows people that it will be a zombie film their is a lot of mystery around what the zombies will look like because their are no clear shots of them. I think their is a lot of wonder around the trailer and I think the atmosphere is just right, it's something I will try and recreate when I make my teaser trailer.

Trailer 2

This is another teaser trailer but it is not the direction I want to go in.



I'm not going to use this trailer because I believe it reveals to much about the film. I do like the first part of the trailer and if I was to edit it myself then I would end it at 0:49. Dawn of the Dead is a classic horror film and I think it would have created more excitement if they didn't include most of the action in the film at the end of it. This is why I want more teaser trailer to be more like 28 days later.

Conventions

From watching these teaser trailers and other films of a similar genre I have noticed similarities in the zombie horror genre. Survival seems to be a common factor in the zombie genre with usually a somebody trying to survive on their own (I am Legend) or with a group (28 Days later). Jump scares are also frequently used to keep the audience on edge and alert, never allowing them to relax even when they think they're safe.

Research and Planning: Audience theories

Hypodermic needle model
The hypodermic needle theory give a mental image of the direct strategic and planned infusion of a message into an individual, it can be used to spread fear into a populace.

Cultivation theory
The theory which examines the long term effects on television on American audiences, effects which starts off small but has a compound effect like body image.


Desensitisation theory
Desensitization is a psychological process that is in involved in explaining viewers emotional reactions to media violence, continued exposure desensitizes audiences.


Copycat model
The copycat model is used to explain the influence media has on it's audience. Members of the audience may copy what they have seen characters do on screen.

Use and gratification theory
This theory places focus on the audience and asks what we do with the media instead of what media does to us. It assumes people take an active role in interpreting media instead of being passive and having it injected into them like the hypodermic needle model.

Research and Planning: Teaser trailer analysis 2

The second trailer I have chose to analyse is the trailer for I Am Legend, I have chosen to analyse the trailer for this film because I like the atmosphere and the idea the man surviving in the city alone. The trailer is two minutes long which is longer than I was planning on doing mine but I think it captures the essence well and this is definitely an inspiration for what I'll be creating. I like the way the trailer is edited, the fade to blacks show a passage of time and the quick editing around the beginning shows the panic and how quick the devastation happened. The editing changes once it shows him in the city alone, it goes slow which shows that time passes slow on his own and it lets the audience see how to city has changed, and gives them a shock as one of the most recognisable cities in the world has become overgrown and derilict. There is music in the trailer it's used when it's showing how the infection began and how he came to be alone. The music stops when this is over and shots of him passing the time are shown, shots of him playing golf, working out and working with his dog through the desolate streets. Although we know this isn't all he's doing through a voice over which tells us he's searching for other survivors by broadcasting over a radio. The trailer ends which the main actor looking scared, the are also subtitles which say "The last man on Earth, is not alone." I have noticed simalarities with this trailer and the 28 Days Later trailer, both trailers end with the main character looking panicked, which will give the audience an incentive to watch the movie. Neither of the two trailers show the creatures which created a mystery around what is happening to the characters and is something I may think about when I'm creating my teaser trailer.

Research and Planning: Questionnaire

I have created a questionnaire so I can get an idea of what people look for when they choose to watch a film. In the questionnaire I have included range of questions about both genre and teaser trailers which I will give be a good idea of what people like to watch. Here are some of the results I got, I have put them into Pie charts.

Research and Planning: Teaser trailer analysis 1

To prepare to make my trailer I have been looking at some other teaser trailers of a similar genres. I have been looking for some common conventions which I may think of applying in mine.


28 Days later






















Sound

• Music quickens along with the trailer and stops when there is the title screen.
• There is no dialogue in the trailer the only diagetic sound is the man shouting.
• Choir music shows that the place is peaceful and signifies that there has been a lot of death - the music is contrapuntal.

Cinematography

• High angle shots make the man look small and show the destruction of the familiar London landmarks
• Shots of the man huddled over show him weak.
• Shots outside are very light and accompany the choir music.
• Close up of zombies eyes show the threat.
• The low key lighting is a common horror film trait.

Editing

• Fade to black edit transitions, these are frequent in this trailer and are used within the first half of the trailer to show the back story.
• Editing quickens as the trailer goes on - this creates a panic.
• Title cards show time progressing and they explain the trailer.

Mise En Scene

• The man is wearing a hospital garment - this shows he has just woken up.
• There is a lot debris in the streets which shows there has been a disaster.

Research and Planning: Pitch

Over the last few lessons I have used PowerPoint to create a pitch, on it I have decided that am going to create a horror film. I have included different slides detailing my plans for sound, style, locations and other things which I have needed to decide on. Below are the slides I created.

Research and Planning: Regulation

The BBFC regulate films, they give the certificates based on what they believe is suitable for the age. Judging by what look at films for I think my film will be a 15 or an 18. This is because I am going to be making a horror film and these ratings would be the most suitable, I have noticed now that more and more horror films are being rated 15 and only the most extreme being 18, it's the 18's which pull the horror audience. The highest number of ages visiting the cinema are 15-25 year olds, this is another reason why my film would be rated to take advantage of this statistic.

Research and Planning: Test poster

To practice creating the real poster this lesson I have created a poster for a mock horror film, I have followed typical conventions of a horror poster.

Research and Planning: Test video

As practice for the real thing, with a group, we created and edited a short chase scene, to practice with all tools we added music and pieced together different shots.

Research and Planning: Genre

Before I start to choose what the film will be about I first need to decide on what genre the film will be, below is some research on different genres.

Action
Action films are a good source of escapism, usually pitting one man against the odds. Actors who play a lead role in an action film usually play them for the rest of their career, they can also become icons and become instantly recognizable for some of their most famous roles, such as Bruce Willis know as John Mclane because of his role in Die Hard. Packed with gun fights, car chases and explosions Action films usually have a large budget but their massive popularity means that they easily get the money back in the cinema.

Horror
Horror films are supposed to unsettle the audience, different types of horror will try to do it in different ways for example some horror films will try and disgust the audience with gore while other with use jump scares keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Some contexts for horror films can be zombies, ghosts, demons and torture, these are used because they are things which frighten the audience. Horror is probably the most controversial genre as each on tries to push the boundaries to make in even scarier.

Thriller

While horror films deal with the supernatural, thriller films can feel very real. A thriller keeps people on the edge of their seats and uses suspense to keep them watching and waiting  for the ending. There is usually a lot of mystery in thriller films, in some cases the main character has to find who a murder is before the murderer kills another victim, the excitement comes from being as clueless as the main character. In other thrillers it can be the main character put in a situation which no one can understand, in Phonebooth a man is held up in a phonebooth by a sniper, here the police is as much as a threat to the man as the sniper is, the audience can't see how the man will survive the situation creating a lot of suspense.

Comedy
A comedy films main attraction is its humour. Comedy films are usually feel good films and usually have happy endings, with the exception of black comedies, such as Fargo which despite the films context makes the audience laugh. Comedy comes in a wide range of different sub genres from slapstick to satire their is humour to be found in them all, some can be broad while others can be found on different levels, Ghostbusters is a great example of a comedy movie, kids enjoy the physical comedy, adults enjoy Bill Murray's dry humour, which is something a child may not understand.

Warren Taylor First Media blog

Welcome to my Media blog.  My name is Warren Taylor and in this blog I will be regularly posting presentation and planning updates about my presentation and how it is going after every lesson.