Planning: Shot list

Shot No.	Location	Shot Type	Movement	Angle	Length	Dialogue	Description/Action	Characters
1	Street	CU	Still	High shot	5 seconds	None	The title of the movie is going to appear on the puddle and will disappear when a character steps on it.	None
2	Street	CU	Tilt shot	N/A	5 seconds	J: Only a few miles away from it now. L: At last It’d better be worth it.	There will be a tilt shot going upwards on Jay, to show his power within the group. The name of the actor will appear on the screen.	Jay
3	Street	ECU	Still	N/A	3 seconds	J: It will be stop worrying man.	After the tilt, the camera will stay on Jay’s face to show his facial expressions to the audience.	Jay
4	Street	MS	Tracking Shot	N/A	4 seconds	Sarah: Look at William, bless him. We’re not even there but he’s trembling like a leaf.	Sarah walking up to Jay and talks about William. The name of Sarah's actor will appear on the screen.	Logan, Sarah and Jay
5	Street	CS	Tracking shot	N/A	2 seconds	J: What’s up Willy	There will be a leaf falling down and Willy will step on it which represents their fate.	None

6	Street	CU	Tracking shot	N/A	8 seconds	J: Why aren’t ya talking? W: I do not have anything to say.	Close-up on Jay and William. The name of William's actor will appear on the screen.	Jay
7	Street	MS	Tracking shot	N/A	4 seconds	L: Speechless already? You definitely will have something to say when you’ll see it.	Midshot on Logan. The name of Logan's actor will appear on the screen.	Logan
8	Street	MS	Tracking shot	N/A	2 seconds	J: Shut up Logan.	Midshot on Jay and William	William and Jay.
9	Street	LS	Tracking shot	N/A	5 seconds	None	Long shot from the woods, watching the characters walking away.	All characters
10	Street	CU	Tracking shot	N/A	15 seconds	S: Why is this street so quiet? L: It could be quieter if you shut up. S: Aha funny. S: There’s no signal either.	Midshot on Sarah and Logan.	Sarah and Logan.
11	Street	CU	Tracking shot	N/A	6 seconds	J: William? W: Yes? What is your biggest phobia?	Close up on Jay’s face.	Jay

12	Street	MS	Tracking shot	N/A	3 seconds	None	Midshot on Logan and Sarah who turn their head to hear William’s answer.	Logan and Sarah
13	Street	ECU	Still	N/A	7 seconds	W: Erm, I’d say ghosts but since they don’t exist, I’d say loneliness.	The extreme close up reveals the fear William is trying to hide inside and also his facial expression.	William
14	Street	MS	Still	N/A	4 seconds	None	Mid shot on Jay, Logan and Sarah who gently laugh without William noticing.	Jay, Logan and Sarah.
15	Street	MS	Tracking shot	Low shot	15 seconds	L: Wait, let me tie my laces. J: Hurry up it’s getting dark. L: I’ll catch you up.	Tracking shot on Logan tying his shoelaces, low shot on his shoes. Logan will tie his shoelaces in a manner as if he is trying to choke someone out.	Logan
16	Street	Long shot	Tracking shot	N/A	15 seconds	None	The villain walks up to Logan from behind, grabs his face, and pulls him out of the camera.	Logan and villain.

I was responsible of making the shot list. A shot list is a list given to the film production which indicates the the sequences of scenes being shot for the day. As for us, we are only required to film one scene, the opening of the film. I included everything there is to acknowledge during the main photography, which will make the process go faster and/or smoother. That is the shot number, the location of where it is being shot, the shot type, the movements and angle utilised, the length of the scene, the dialogue, a brief description of what will happen, and the actors who will appear in the shot. 

Planning: Mise-En-Scene

Costume: 

For our first male character we decided to give him a smart look, which reflects his personality, he's the most sensible in the group. This sensibility can also be seen as variability in this situation as he is not use to going camping. He is from a high wealth background that goes to the hotels and is not use to the camping scenario.  

Here is a brief idea of what he will wear.

For the other 2 males they are both wearing more of a laid back outfit, yet is appropriate this will contain things like white shirt, trainers, and black jeans. Also with school jacket. One wears a jacket the other has their sleeves rolled up.   

Here's what we think our  costume will look like.

For our girl character we decided to put her in a casual outfit and and will reflect her laid back personality. This can also portray here tom boy personality as she is wearing clothes that would be resembled with boys whistle hanging about with three other boys.

This is what we imagine the girl will wear.

For our props we have decided to use the common the phone. We decided to use this as it is a common thing in our times. It also allows us to portray the well used film convention of having no signal. We have chosen this phone as it is a very popular phone used in 2013.

This is the phone we have chosen (iPhone 4s)

As our characters are going camping they will have to have some camping bbs to store they supplies in them. This will help convince our audience that they are going camping as they have the suitable equipment. 

This would be the ideal bag for the characters to use a s it can fit all their equipment.

For our villain we decided to give the skin tone a light grey colour as it shows to the audience that it is not a normal person. This could suggest that she has been dead for months. Although the audience will only see the hands of the villain.

This would be the ideal hand for our introduction

Planning: location planning

For this task Nicole was responsible for taking the photos of our location possibilities. Whilst Oliver provided the text.

We decided to do location planning as it will help us evaluate our options for the best location for our short film. Completing this task in the early stages of our planning will allow us to find more suitable location allowing us to create a more realistic and scary film. Doing location planning also allows us to avoid the last minute panic of were to film. Doing it now will allow us to take in more detailed decisions like what time will be best for filming in this location as the angle of the sun could effect our footage. Or if we do it to late we will not have enough light to see our characters. In each different location it will have its different pros and cons. Doing our location planning in a early stage will allow us to prepare for the cons of the location and enhance the pros.

Possible locations:

Location 1:This location was considered as it was a very remote area which can allow us to use many film conventions like a secluded location as from this shot there seems to be no sign of any houses. Although I believe that this area was to open for our camping scene. I believe this as it does not allow our villain to use any obstacles to hide behind or use as cover whilst following our characters.

Location 2: This location was also considered as it looks like a enclosed location for our campers protecting them from the element of wind due to the high rising walls. The look of the is location is very good as it can display an old abandoned house. This can be seen by the overgrown vegetation and the randomly placed bricks. I also believe that in the night the back line of trees will create a very scary atmosphere whilst accompanied by the wind blowing over the walls.

Location 3: This location was also considered due to its confided location. This location would allow our villain to follow the campers through the high rising vegetation providing the perfect cover. The high rising walls also provided a sense of confinement and with the right camera angle can show to our audience that there is no escape.

Location 4: This location was considered as the old abandoned road provides the perfect atmosphere. The old abandoned road provides the perfect information to the audience that they are far from any active civilisation. With the overgrown vegetation  providing the perfect cover for our villain to stork our campers. In the right lighting this can create a terrifying atmosphere for our audiences allowing them to sink into the reality of the film.

Location 5: This was at first considered as a location or our short film as its enclosed rooms provided some good shelter for the campers. Although we now believe this is not such a good idea as it does not allow any mysterious movement from our villain as it will easily be seen from the window. This can also make it awkward for us to record as the small areas will be hard to fit ourselves in and the campers with still enough room for them to move around.

Planning: Casting

This task was completed by brain as it was his responsiblity to complete casting in our action plan.

I was in charge of doing the casting. I decided to cast several people so I had a wide range to choose from. We needed one girl, and three boys for our project, this is all the people we considered casting:

Jay: Jay is the "leader" of the group. He is sixteen and considered as a "womanizer". He likes a challenge and travels whenever he can with his father. As he is the youngest of 3 brothers, they often bully him and he likes to take frustration out on Logan and Sarah. He occasionally be seen as acting nice or sympathetic towards William, as he reminds him of him. For Jay, we are looking for someone who looks confident, can seem patronizing at times, but also lenient.
Logan: Logan is the "clown of the group" as well as the main bully. He is sixteen and is in William's form class. Logan's main hobby is bullying William. He looks upon Jay, but sometimes acts arrogant against him so he can have some "pride". He has a love/hate relationship with Sarah, but remains really close with her. For Logan, we are looking for someone who seems fearless, careless and has a good sense of humour.
Sarah: Sarah is the only girl of the group. She is considered as a modern-day tomboy. She only hangs around with Logan at school, with whom she has a close relationship. She does not have many other friends, but reads horror books a lot. Sarah and William would occasionally have conversations about books, but that happens rarely. For Sarah, we are looking for a girl who can look like tomboy and act like one as well as fierce and quite quirky.
William: William is the "underdog" of the group. He is a modern-day nerd and is very intelligent. He does not have many friends, as he'd rather stay at the library and read history books. He is the main target of Logan, who constantly mocks him at sixth-form. William is an only child and comes from a very wealthy family. He also sometimes can act in a condescending manner, which might be the main reason as to why Logan bullies him. For William, we are looking for someone who looks innocuous, and can behave courteous effortlessly.

I considered Evie because she's a great actress, co-operative as well as flexible. For the female character, we need a tom-boy looking girl and Evie could potentially be cast for the role.

I considered Panashe because he's confident as well as reliable. If he was to be in our opening; he would be most likely to play Jay, the "bully", as his physique is more appropriate for the role.

This is John. John is a trustworthy individual, as well as a good actor. I considered John to play Logan, as he is comfortable playing a rebellious character. He also has a strong figure, which would improve credibility, as Logan and the rest of the group "bully" William. However, I also thought that John could play William, the "victim" of the group, as he is a quiet person. Playing someone with a similar personality would be easier as he will practically not have to act or pretend, and his acting will seem more natural.

I considered Agne because she is a reliable individual. To play Sarah, the only girl of the group, I wanted a girl who had a strong personality to keep up with the three other boys, especially Jay and Logan, and Agne's personality would be perfect to fit Sarah's. 

This is Titus. I considered Titus as he is a flexible actor. I thought that he would be better at playing Logan or Jay, as the are the "bullies" of the group, and Titus can easily interpret a bully. 

This is Jake. Jake studies Drama for A-Levels, thus why I've considered him. He is a flexible and friendly character. I thought he would be suitable playing William, as he would be more credible. 

Note: The final choice for the cast will appear here soon.

Planning/ Research: Storyboard

For this task I was responsible for it completion.

what is the purpose of a story board?

I believe the purpose of a storyboard in the pre-production section is to allow the directors and producers to visualise the film. This will allow them to spot any areas of improvement or any areas that could be scrapped. This will hep them perfect the film to the best of their ability by getting rid or improving some dull areas. A standard storyboard contains many areas. One of these areas is the picture itself. The picture allows the person to visualise the film before it is made. Another section included is the camera angle and movement. This contains a mixture of shots ands movements for the user to see allowing them to visualise the camera moment and help them decide if there is a better alternative. A sound section is also included in the storyboard. this will contain both diagetic and non diagetic sound for the user to read. his can help the user decided if this is the right sound for that section of the film or if it all rune the scene for the audience.

Here is a small example of a storyboard:

Our storyboard:
For our story board i tried to create the same design as the example above by including all elements like the camera angles and movement, both diagetic and non diagetic sound, a visual image and a title.

This is our storyboard contain the information we think is needed for our short film. We used a storyboard as we believe that it makes things easier when it comes to the final filming. This storyboard givers our group a foundation to build from to complete our filming. It contains factors such as pictures. These pictures give us a visual image of what we want the certain shot to look like. We have also included the camera angle and movement. This section will allow us to determine what angel and movement will set suit that shot making it more enjoyable for our target audience. Another section it includes is sound. This allows us to get a remote idea of what we want to hear from the shot including both non and diagetic sounds.

Planning: Screenplay

Below is the screenplay of our opening sequence. I was in charge of making it. A screenplay is writing that is intended to be turned into film. an indication of what you want the audience to see and hear in that big dark room called a cinema should the film ever be made.

SCREENPLAY

“DORMEZ MES ENFANTS”

By

Brian Oblitey

Oliver Iarrobino

Nicole Storey

December 12, 1997

The scene will start with a black screen accompanied by non-diegetic sound of woodland.

The main conversation is going to occur on a deserted street.

Jay: Only a few miles away from it now.

Logan: At last, it’d better be worth it.

Jay: It will be, stop worrying man.

Sarah (whispering to Jay and laughing): Look at William, bless him. We’re not even there yet but he’s trembling like a leaf!

Jay (approaching William): Why aren’t ya talking?

William (continues staring at the ground, pauses): I do not have anything to say.

Logan: You definitely won’t have anything to say when you’ll “it”.

Jay: Shut up Logan.

Logan: I was joking calm down, banter innit?

*Long shot from the woods, watching the characters walking away*         

Sarah: Why is this street so quiet?

Logan: It could be quieter if you shut up.

Sarah (gently pushes Logan in the arm, sarcastically): Aha, funny.

*Sarah holding her phone up in the air*

Sarah: There’s no signal either!

Jay: William?

William: Yes?

Jay: What is your biggest phobia?

*Sarah and Jay turn their heads to William*

William: Erm… I’d say ghosts, but since they don’t exist, I’d say loneliness.

*Jay, Logan and Sarah laugh but William does not notice* 

Logan: Wait, let me tie my laces *pushes William out of his way*

*Logan bends over and ties his laces*

Jay: Hurry up, it’s getting dark, we’ll miss it.

*A Russell sound is heard but the character does not notice*

Jay (suspiciously): Did you hear that noise?  

William (scared but trying to hide his fear): What noise?

 *Gravel sounds are heard as Logan finishes tying his laces up*

*Hands appear from behind and grab Logan*

*Logan disappears, the camera cuts*

Plan Of Action

In our group we have decided to spilt up tasks ahead so we could complete all of following work before the end of this term (20th december 2013). For example I will be taking charge of the storyboarding.  This is followed by a brief discription of what a storyboard is. I will have to complete this task by 20th of december 2013 as that is the deadline we agreed on as a group. We then decided on what level the work should be. As a group we decided to aim high and go for a level 4 for all of our work.

Research:The importance of sound.

The non-diagtic feature of music can be seen as a vital part to a horror film. It can build or destroy the movie for its audience in seconds. This is why it must be done correctly to ensure the films success. Music can help create the mood of the scene. For example in a horror movie a sharp high pitch sound can be played when the victim is about to be attacked. This can help build tention as it sets the atmoshpere for the audience. For a horror scene there are two things related to sound that a vital when scaring your audience. The music before the scare and during the scare. Before the scare will have a much softer  ambient sound that will build the tension ready for the scare. The music for the scare itself will be a lot more Loud and sudden. This will make the audience jump when added onto of a scary scene making the purpose of  horror film complete.

Some horror movies gradually increase the sound of the music as it comes closer to the jump scare. The music can resemble the tension building up as the character nears the villain. Although recently some movies build the music up to become loud in the event leading up to a jump scare only to then drop the sound completely leaving it dead silent. This can have a greater effect on the audiences as they will believe that it is over but and will be court of guard.

The type of instrument that is used also has a massive effect on its audience. For example a high pitch violin could be use its harp sound  resemble the sharpness of a knife. When this is edited in with a knife scene it can combine with the images of the knife to create a scary horror scene.  The high pitch sound of the violin can also be mistaken for screams which can lead the audience to think of pain as you would scream when you are hurt. This can be seen in the famous horror movie Psycho :

 

Another example could be a piano. Although the piano is a basic instrument it can have some of the biggest effects on its audience. A piano can create a simple melody which can then be repeated over and over again. This can be seen in another famous horror movie the excorsit:

 

 

 

 The non diegetic Sound effects are also massively used cross all films especially horror films. Sound effects can be used to enhance the sound of diegetic movement. For example an old creaky door cold open but would not be that noticeable for the audience. With the use of sound effects they can edit a louder more noticeable sounded in to create the feeling of old house. Sound effects can also be used for un-human sounds. Like aliens, we don’t know what they sound like but thanks to sound software we can now create and edit in  un-human like sound for the audience.