Production Blog Entry 6 - Filming

• With our new script and new characters we went out to film the main part of the sequence. Again we had to make sure that we got to the location in time so that the lighting was successful as in the past this was an issue. 

• We filmed the male character walking through the main building inside the factory, we did this as an over the shoulder/tracking shot so you could grasp an idea of where he was going and also build up strong tension. 

• We also filmed the female character rocking in the corner of an outer building. We found this smaller building/ large room that was extremely messy with paper work all over the floor and graffiti on the walls. We decided to film here as it would create a sense of the place being abandoned and therefore the viewers would instantly know that the character is trapped away.

    

 

This was an extremely successful day of filming as we were able to get a wide range of shots to work with and now we will be able to put together a rough cut of our opening sequence. I think also using these new characters worked a lot better as if we needed to change something it was easily done as myself and Tommy could attend during our media lessons. Also I think the story line is now a lot better as it builds up tension and is simple but extremely effective. 

Production Blog Entry 5 - Filming Problem

Today we were meant to be filming the main piece of our opening sequence with the main characters of Lucy and George, however we encountered a problem and they were unable to give up their free time due to work and school commitments. 


After long discussions with our teachers and our group we decided to alter our film idea and script to accommodate our free time so that we are able to get the filming done in time. We decided to instead use myself and Tommy as the two main characters. This would be a lot easier for us as we then could film during our media lessons as we then know all of us would be able to come to the location. 


We also decided to change the script and film idea as we wanted to include the location as much as possible as this was extremely successful creating a strong mood that we wanted to portray. 


Our new idea: 

• A longer establishing shot at the beginning of the opening sequence where the first credits would be.   - This would make the audience 
• A tracking shot of the father walking through the building, down stairs etc
• The daughter sitting or standing facing away from the camera, rocking in a long white robe. 
• Then a point of view shot of the father walking towards the girl, then the girl starts to turn around. The filming then stops just as you start to see her face
• Then the title appears

With the alterations we made, we also had to change the costume of the girl slightly. Due to the fact before hand we were going to show the girls red eyes at the end, but now however we won't see her face we didn't have to go out and buy this.  We would keep the same clothing of the father, in suit trousers, a shirt and smart shoes and similarly for the female character we have decided to keep the idea of wearing something white which could give a sense of insanity. Therefore the girl shall be wearing a white silk gown. 

Production Blog Entry 4 - Editing

After a successful day of filming we started to put together the start of our opening sequence using a few establishing shots. We at first only did the establishing shot for about 5 seconds as our original idea was only to have a shot of the building the girl was trapped in.  
We used a few editing techniques in these shots: 

• We decreased the brightness down and added strong contrast which created this eerie feel
• Also we found two different pieces of music from a copyright right free website. These were 'Classic Horror' and 'Behind the Looking Glass'

After receiving peer and teacher feedback, many people thought that the current establishing shots were extremely successful and we should extend these. We decided that we should make this longer as it did create strong tension and created a clear indication of the genre.

Production Blog Entry 3 - Filming

In our previous filming we were unable to get the right shots due to the time we filmed as it was so dark. Therefore today we went out and filmed some establishing shots for the first section of our opening sequence. We were able to get to the location at the beginning of the day so that it was light enough and that we had enough time to film. 

We found many things to film that would create an eerie setting where the audience would know straight away that this was a horror film and that something bad was going to happen. These things included rotted bikes, barbed wire, small buildings that were also abandoned.

     

This was definately an improvement since the last time we filmed as the scary atmosphere was clearly portrayed and you were able to actually see the filming due to the successful lighting. However, one problem we encountered was the use of characters as we are still finding it hard to timetable our main characters in. Therefore we may have to reconsider our opening sequence as we may run out of time if they still cannot make the filming days. 

Title and Credits

Luke was in charge of experimenting with the titles and credits that will appear at the beginning or during of the opening sequence.  We all had a say in the experimenting and gave our opinion as to what we thought of the titles. He used LiveType to create this and added some effects and different fonts to each one. 
Titles

This title may be used in the opening sequence. To create this, we all looked at fonts on the website www.dafont.com, here we looked at suitable fonts that would fit in with our genre and general storyline of the film. For our title we used the font off this website called 'Ghastly Panic'. Here we used the colour deep red. We used this because it signifies danger, however it wasn't blood red which would signify blood, this is what we didn't want. I particularly like this font as it gives the audience a hint to what the film could be about as it looks quite scary, it also looks quite 'scratched' which relates to our film as there will be a shot of the walls where she has been scratching at the wall. This therefore could convey her actions and the fact she is possessed.


Credits

We also used the font 'Chalkduster' that was within the default fonts in LiveType. We used this font as it was simple and wouldn't be distracting to the the audience. However it does have some aspects of showing it is a horror film. The main being the fact it is red, simplifying danger and horror. I think we will use this in our opening sequence. 


At the moment, we are unsure as to what effects we will use to the font as we will only be able to do this once we have filmed some of the main parts of the opening sequence. This is because we will be able to see if it goes well with the actual filming or if it clashes. Even the colours and font could do this. 

Production Entry: Filming Day Two

• Yesterday we carried on filming short pieces of the film which we may use to help the audience establish the location and gain an idea of what the film is about including the genre. We went to the abandoned cat litter factory in Redhill. We were able to film a long corridor, a large metal door with a lock on where we filmed the male character walking through with a lantern. This was our most successful shot which we will use in the opening sequence. 

• This was a successful day as we were able to explore the area we will film in and fully grasp the parts that would make the film original and look scary as well as realistic. We will definitely film the rest of our sequence here as it looked authentic, however there were some limitations within our filming on this day. 

• As we could only film on this day in the evening, it meant our filming was weak. This is because it was so dark you were unable to fully see what the place looked like and also sometimes even the character and the action. Because of this, we will film here again during the day when there is enough light so you can clearly see what is going on and where it is set.  This is just one shot where you are unable to see any of the setting due to the bad lighting:

• Another thing we need to improve on is our organisation with the characters. At the moment we have only been able to film with George (the father) without Lucy (Katie) present. Having them there at the same time will make it a lot easier to film as it would make the film look realistic. For example if we wanted George to look at Lucy sitting down somewhere, it would look a lot more real if he was actually looking at the figure and not just adding it in later. Also if we wanted to experiment with other shots where they were both in the frame, we could easily do this instead of having to organise yet another day to film. 

Actual Filming Location

After searching around for a location that will create an authentic and eery feel for the place that Katie our character is trapped in. It is an abandoned cat litter factory situated in Redhill, therefore it will be easy to get to and not a problem getting our actors/actresses there.  


Here is a website that shows many photographs of this place:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/landie_man/sets/72157624022107387/ 


We were at first going to film this as an establishing shot to show where Katie was trapped, however now this is where we shall film the whole of our opening sequence as it will clearly create this trapped and scary atmosphere. 

Production Blog Entry - Filming Day 1

Yesterday, we were experimenting with shots that could build up tension within our opening sequence which will show the setting of the place Katie is trapped in. These clips will be at the start of the opening sequence and therefore will act as establishing shots, they will also be genre/narrative signifiers that will successfully determine that she is trapped in a dirty place and is away from the real world. 


These are some of the shots we took:






There were some problems with our filming because of the fact we were unable to start filming the main parts of the sequence because our actors weren't available and we couldn't go to our other location of an abandoned building. However, these shots were extremely successful as it will make up the sequence as our original storyboards timing was not as long as it should be. 

Sound Effect Ideas

To enhance the sound of the father walking down the stairs, we wanted to add on a sound effect so the footsteps were clearer and louder. We searched a variety of copyright free websites to find slow loud footsteps, however none of them had the sound we wanted. Therefore to experiment using one of our phones we recorded the sound of footsteps down some stairs.  This was successful as it is exactly the right sound we wanted, however the quality was bad due to the fact we used a phone and you could hear some background noise. We will record this properly using an audio recorder. 

                                                                                                          

Contingency Plan

• Cast dropping out/ being unreliable/ being bad actors . 
• Crew being late . 
• Locations not letting you film there/ being too noisy/ having too many people in the background . 
• Battery running out on the camera . 
• Continuity problems (eg; filming one scene with a characters wearing a shirt with two buttons done up, and then accidently filming another scene with the character where he has three or four buttons done up)

 As a group we had to plan for our film in terms on what should we do if things go wrong such as, cast dropping out or being unreliable. If this situation occurs then we would have to have a understudy who would be up for doing this film opening sequence. This would also happen if our characters are bad actors, we would ask someone who is in the drama department who would be a good actor or actress and also if that he or she would take part in the opening sequence. 


If the crew is always turning up late, as a group we have to organize different meeting dates before so we would have more opportunities to film a certain shot, or direct the positions of the characters. 


Before filming as a group we would search up different locations and have a rough idea where we would like to locate our film and also find the correct setting, so if the location we chose will not allow us to film there, this would mean that we would have different ideas where to go next, as we have researched before actually just turning up to the location. If the location is being to noisy, the best possible idea to do is to move to a different location where as a group we have researched, or even attend to the location another day to see if the noise has lowered down. If there is too many people in the background, this could be very off putting as the film only consist with two characters only. This could mean if their is to many people shown in the background maybe move to a different location to film the characters. 


If the battery is running low on the camera we are filming on, the best thing to do before is to make sure we have another spare camera, so when the first camera run out of battery, we would have another camera to continue with the filming, so this will run very smoothly. 


For making sure that their is no continuity problems, we should put one person in charge of the continuity problems so they will have to write down before for the male character how his hair looks like, the costume that he is wearing, and this also means the setting in the background, if there is something on the wall then the camera comes back to the wall again and that something is gone, this is a continuity error, so as a group we would need to put one person in charge so hopefully no continuity problems will occur when filming.

Location Ideas

Archive/Boiler Room

We started to look at possible locations to film our horror opening sequence. The school archive/boiler room was something we wanted to explore as it looked authentic and created a eery feel. The left picture is the boiler room where we hope to film our main character in. We may film the character in the corner of this room loosely framed being trapped. We also filmed a point of view shot coming down the stairs into both the boiler room and the actual archive which is a possible idea when shooting

However there are restricitions when it comes to shooting in here, the boiler room may be unsafe and therefore as it is in school grounds we may not be able to film in this certain part. Therefore we will just film Katie at the bottom of the stairs but to make it more interesting film from differenet angles.

     Abandoned Warehouse/Factory

This is a warehouse/factory in Hackbridge. This is a possible location idea for filming the outside of the house/building that is at the start of the opening sequence. However there
are many restrictions due to the fact there is a lot of barbed wire and fencing around the actual building which will make it extremely difficult to film. However as we were able to take the picture we may attempt to film this and also use the barbed wire as an added shot which would enhance the idea of
being trrapped and away from the outside. We want to film this as the building Katie is locked in as it is shown to be extremely derelict and in bad condition which will make the storyline more realistic and enhancing the suspense and horror of the opening sequence.

Equipment List

For our opening sequence, we will need:

Digital Video Camera; this is the most important piece of equipment that we will need this in order to film our opening sequences as this is what we will use to film the actual film. The camera must be of high quality as it will make the film look a lot better if the camera's quality is high. If we were to use a camera with a low resolution and low mega pixels then it would look more fuzzy and hazy therefore meaning the quality of the clip would not be as good.


Tripod; we will also need a tripod in order to stand the camera up and keep it steady for certain shots that need more or less height and/or shots that need to stationary. We would attach the camera onto the tripod to film shots that are not moving shots. For moving takes we would most likely just hold the camera to create the effect of a hand held shot, or if need be a dolly, however this is extremely unlikely so I do not think we will need include a dolly in our equipment list.


Apple Mac Computer; this is also an essential piece of equipment that we will need to use. This is simply because we need to use the software Final Cut Express in order to edit our opening sequence to make all the different takes fit together and look good. This software is only available on Mac computers so we need to be able to have regular access to one in order to complete the opening film


Digital Audio Recorder: We will need the digital audio recorder to record the non-diagectic sound of the chanting. We have decided to use the audio recorder instead of the video recorder because this would sound more successful and also more clearer.


Lighting: For the lighting we would be using candles to show a ominous presence on the screen. The lighting would make the main character feel trapped as this would show that the female character is trapped from the light, such a electricity and day light.

Costumes and Props List

Costumes needed:

• -Lucy - XL nightie.  - Primark/Charity Shop 
• George- Dark blue suit trousers, white shirt, black waistcoat, smart shoes.    - Own clothing

Props needed:

• Plain white contact lenses- Lucy will wear these as we are going to do an extreme close up of her eye that will be pure white with the only colour coming from the pupil.    - Antique shop in sutton
• Old rusty padlock- This will be used on the door to the basement to show that she is locked in there. Could represent that she has spent possibly years locked in the basement.    -Tommy
• Candles- We will use candles which will be used in the basement next to Lucy to show that this is the only light that she has within her basement.     - 99p shop
• Cutlery- We will use lots of dirty plates, knives and forks to show how she is trapped away. - Drama Department
• Teddy Bears - There will be lots of teddy bears within the basement that are old and ripped up - Hannah
• Bucket - This bucket will be shown as Katies source of toilet. This again shows she is trapped and is not in reality. - Tommy

Shooting Schedule

Day/Time	Location	Shot Description	People Needed
Thursday 8th March 2012 AM		Long canted angle shot of a corridor in the house.	Filming Crew
		Close up of a light swinging.
		Medium close up of a man’s hand pulling the light cord and turning the light on.	George, filming crew
Thursday 8th March 2012 PM		Medium shot of a man facing away from the camera at the top of a set of steep stairs.	George, filming crew
		Extreme close up of a girls eye.	Lucy, filming crew
		Medium shot of the man walking down the stairs.	George, filming crew
		Long shot of an old derelict house that slowly zooms in.	Filming crew
Sunday 11th March 2012 PM		Long high angle shot of the girl sitting in the corner of the room. (CCTV shot)	Lucy, filming crew
		Close up of the rusty metal lock on the door.	Filming crew
		High angle medium long shot of the girl at the bottom of the stairs.	Lucy, filming crew
		Close up shot of scratches on the wall.	Filming crew
Tuesday 13th March 2012 PM		Medium shot of the stairs where the girl was, but she’s gone.	Filming crew
		Long high angle shot of the girl sitting in the corner of the room. (CCTV shot)	Lucy, filming crew
		Close up on the man’s face to catch his facial expression.	George, filming crew
		Long high angle shot of the corner of the room where the girl was but she’s gone again. (CCTV shot)	Filming crew