Filming day 2

Today was the second and last day of filming.

We started off with make up and all the actresses went through their script to remind them of their actions as there was minimal sound.

We filmed in chronological order from scene by scene, I'm very proud of the footage I filmed, The mes en scen, location as well the amazing contribution of my cast gave me something to look forward to edit. I think I have a lot of various types of footage which I can play around with on Final Cut Pro.

One thing that could've been improved is the positioning of lighting, perhaps if I used a different location which was bigger so there was more space to move around and place things also it may have been more effective also I would have had shots and angles from different background, nonetheless we managed to make it work well.

Filming Day 1

Today I filmed the flash back scenes, it went really well. I organised the filming in terms of scenes, so I filmed all the scenes that do not require all members of the cast on one day and will film the zombie (or basement scenes) in a few days provided that all memers of my cast are present.

Using tips and techniques from the preliminary task was useful. Originally we were supposed to film in a park however, it was very windy and the ambient sound would have been very distorted thereofre the main charcter- Sarah played by Hajera and I decided to film in my house instead which worked even better than the orignal idea.

Overall, it was a productive day filming the flashback scenes.

Photos from film for poster

These are a few still shots from filming day 2 which I could be potential use for my poster. The mes-en-scen is perfect for the look I want on my poster which is dark and creepy also this fits in well with the horror genre.

Preliminary task- using green screen

   

Carrying out this task has helped me uderstand how to use greenscreen, the exposure of light also how to edit it in Final Cut.

When I film the green screen footage for my film I will make sure that the exposure of the light is consistent and bright as news reports often have a bright exposure of light. Also, if the lighting is not consistent and is dark then this will create issues for me when I am editing. Moreover, I will use a microphone to ensure that the sound is clear and concise, I will then dub the voice with the footage so the audio has a nice smooth tone to it. Also, during my editing stages I will need to effectively dub the audio so it is in sync with the video. An important factor for when shooting the green screen scene I will make sure that I fully straighten out the green screen curtain as it did cause troubles for me when editing because the footage looked unprofessional and fuzzy.

Reflection from the BFI

Reflection from the BFI trip

The trip to the BFI which took place on the 5th of February gave me a detailed insight about posters and trailers.

We looked at a range of trailers and looked at key features in a trailer by commenting on the mes-en scene, sound, camera shots and the way editing was used in trailers, one of the trailers we collectively looked at was Frank audience members were required to comment on the various features such as the colours used alongside the type of sound, pitch and tone of the sounds used that made it effective and catchy. One feature of trailers that is very important is the continuity editing- the fast paced and montage of shots that are placed together in a rapid motion are very important to film trailers. We also looked at how trailers appeal to specific target audiences for example, we looked at The In-between 2 and how all the scenes induced humour to appeal to it's existing target audience.

We also looked posters and what makes a good and bad poster, commenting on the negative parts of a poster we were aware of what not to do which helped us keep a good focus on what we should include in a poster. We analysed various posters such as The Queen, and Submarine. I learnt that depneding on the type of story that iis being told and sold the types of colours, composition of subjetcs on a poster is vital. The fact that in the poster The Queen- the colours red, white and bloye werer used connote that the story will be about British history and the monarchy, I was able to point out specific techniques used by the editor- the colours used on the quotes, author and title were in sync with the picture of the Queen- started off as grey, (Queen's hair) then blue (her eyes) and then red (her lips) this is an effective way of editing as it's stylistic and has a unique look to it.
I learnt that the use of colours in a horror poster is often dark with low-key lighting, there are simple and minimal photography.

During the Q&A with guest speaker Hannah, who creates advertising products for various block buster films. One of the main things that caught my eye, was when she was asked why posters appeal to the second generation, her answer was thought provoking, she believes that posters are typical for thos who enjoy the art of photography and appreciate the traditional methods of marketing than our (21st) generation who prefer to watch and listen to trailers and enjoy getting a thrill off of the visual medium. Also, when asked about the conventions of male voice overs- Hannah said that there reason why there isn't really a shift in the male voice overs and the reason it stays as a convention is because it's something that is a cultural norm for film makers also a shift in the paradigm will not be as appealing to conventional audiences, she does however, hope to see a change in this and wants to hear more female voice overs in trailers!

One of the things that I will defiantly take away from this experience is the ways in which I chose to position my poster, the colours I use and the composition of all my items on the poster, also I will make sure that when I am producing my own trailer I use continuity editing and a range of sounds to make sure I meet my audience expectations. Also, I may chose to challenge the convention a female voice overs on trailers by using a female voice over. 

Updated treatment

Updated treatment

Updated film script with changes

The Placebo

Discussion with film practitioner Adam King

After a detailed discussion with film practitioner Adam King, I decided to rearrange a few scenes.

I told him my ideas and the key themes, he read my script and helped me improve the storyline.

I was fully aware that my film entails a complicated storyline and a complex plot, which is why I spoke to Adam about scripting to help me express my ideas fully. 

In my original script the flashback scenes were when the protagonist (Sarah) was a young child i decided to include this to convey the scientific element to the story, however when talking to Adam he advised me to open my story as Sarah as a zombie and then change into Sarah as a human (the flash back scenes) and to make present day as Sarah as a zombie in the haunted house. I agreed with this decision as I thought it would create a binary opposite also add to the enigma. He said that one effective way to show the connection between zombie Sarah and human Sarah is by using a physical icon of Sarah which when she sees/touches she becomes nostalgic and then has a flash back. 

I think this makes it more clear as to how Sarah ends up in the haunted house and what role and significance she has in film.

Radio trailer script (draft)

Radio trailer script (draft)

Audience feedback on poster

 

Poster draft

 

Initial ideas for poster

These are the initatil plans for the way I would like my poster: 
                                                                    

Youtube clips about camera work

These are a few youtube clips that I have watched on tips of filming and the type of angles along with camera shots in practise:

 

There are many tips which I will be using form these clips in my short film, I will make sure I pre-set the settings on the camera I will be using (Cannon 600D). I will adjust the Aperture and ISO to make it look as professional, also I will think carefully about the composition of my shots to ensure the angles are correct and I have a range of shots.

Preliminary task- film