Stills from Shoot

Storyboard (Josh Manley 9645)

Call List (Isaac Randall 9655)

8:00 - Meet to prepare equipment at Kieran's house - Will need three cameras, all props such as fake blood, dolls, chair etc, three tripods
9:30 - Arrive at location with all actors and prepare scenes (costume etc) Also set up audio for Ryans scenes
10:00 - After setting up call Ryan for first shots (Flashback)
11:00- Film Shots including second actor and main actor (still flashback shots)
12:00 - By 12 finish all flashback scenes finished and break for lunch
12:30 - Call Rhiannon for her CCTV shots
1:00 - Prepare costume for chair scenes (ripping the clothes and preparing fake blood etc)
1:30 - Call Ryan for first shots in chair in abandoned building
3:30 - Time lapse of building
4:00 - Call Ryan for more shots in the chair (now Dark)
4:30 - Call Ryan and Rhiannon for final shots in the dark (abandoned building)

Shot List (Group Work)

SHOT LIST

FLASHBACKS

(flashback 1)
1 - (14) Long shot - Ryan (actor) climbs through gap in area through immediate front gate.
2 - (15) CU of feet through gate
3 - (16) MS/LS - Shot of Ryan walking through gate (from behind)
4 - (17) MS - Front of Ryan - on bridge
5 - (18) OTS - Ryan taking photo over the bridge
6 - (19)  ECU - Finger pressing shutter

(flashback 2)
7 - (25)  Ryan taking further photos around scene (stairs/wooden area) MS
8 - Shot of him from underneath wooden, POV of Rhiannon (Secondary Actor)

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ADDED EXTRA FLASHBACK SHOTS

POV of him being watched in bushes (depth of field)
Low Angle MS - Photos inside machine gun mount
Fallen Pilon/Mast
Ditch                                                                              
------------------------------------------------------------------------

9 - (26) LS Ryan walking down - waterside
10 - (27) CU of feet next to doll (in water)
11 - (28) MS - Reflection of Ryan taking photo next to doll - kidnap scene (Hood over head)

CCTV 1 - RHIANNON


12 - High Angle LS (27) - Rhiannon dragging stick
13 - High Angle LS (27) - Rhiannon sitting down in room (cross legged, playing with doll)

ROOM/CHAIR SCENE

14 - (1)  Establishing LS - Ryan in Chair
15 - (2) CU Hands behind Back Struggling
16 - (3) CU Face of Ryan, Blood Dripping - Dozy
17 - (4) CU Blood Puddle - Chair Leg shot
18 - (5) CU CCTV on Wall
19 - (6) High Angle Shot CCTV View - Ryan In Chair
20 - (7) MS Begins to wake up in chair
21 - (8) ECU Ryan Opening Eyes
22 - (9) POV Blurred (Using Prism Filter/Blurred) Down at Legs/Surroundings)
23 - (10) CU of hands behind back, struggling
24 - (11) Focus on on blood, begins to struggle
25 - (12) POV less blurred - Ryan's surroundings
26 - (13) CU Reaction shot - Ryan's face
27 - (20) CU Reaction shot - Ryans face - panicking more
28 - (21) Long Shot, Ryan sees CCTV camera.
29/30 - (22) High Angle Long Shot, (2 Camera Set up) Ryan CCTV
31 - (23) CU of Ryan's Face - Spits Blood
32 - (24) CU of Blood Splatting on Floor - Action Match


33 - (29) Time Lapse, showing night time setting
34 - (30) Final Shot, Flashes, Night Time - Ryan in Chair (Rhiannon behind)

Soundtrack Creation

In order to ensure that our soundtrack matched our shot sequences, I decided that the best approach was to create my own. I done this using Apple software Logic Pro X, recording and combining a variety of ambient synths, percussion and strings. The final track contained 18 different instrument sounds, which layer up slowly before building to a more upbeat, high tempo part, where our opening is planned to be more dramatic (where the victim is taken hostage). I then took a minimalist approach, dropping most of the layers but leaving an ambient backing drone sound remaining and a drum beat that resembles the beating of the actors heart, creating huge suspense and tension. After this, I quickly built the instruments up once more, increasing the volume, general pace and drum tempo for our final, most dramatic scene, increasing suspense and therefore making our audience feel more on edge when viewing. Finally I left one remaining heavy bass drum to be played along side our main title at the end of the sequence, 'Captive'.

During lesson, I played this potential soundtrack to the class in order to gain their feedback. The consensus of the class was that the track was entirely suited to the genre and it was considered to be ideal for our film opening.

Risk Assessment (Josh Manley 9645)

Constructing An Opening, Engaging the Audience

Main Character

The main character of our film also brought much research and planning to our opening. Initially and ideally we hoped to include a teenage girl inn our opening to add to the horror effect top the film. Teenage girls are stereotypically used in most horror films and add the aspect of vulnerability and innocence to the film. However, we do not have access to a character like this so therefore we have resulted in choosing to use a 20 years old semi-professional actor. Despite the acting not being marked in our opening we strongly believe that by including an effective actor we will be able to engage the audience more effectively and make the opening seem more realistic thus, forming stronger emotional connections with the audience and result in them wanted to watch the remainder of the film.

Enigma Code

Our film opening as a whole could be considered as an enigma code. Several aspects of our opening will contribute to the overall effect of gaining the attention of the audience. The audience will be provoked to question why the main character is where he is, who put him there and how he got there in the first place. These questions will be raised through the audience seeing the character strapped to a chair with no previous explanations. The fact the we will include brief flashbacks displaying the character taking pictures results in the audience question why the boy was there in the first place, questioning the reasoning behind the events and where they are all taking place. The recognition of dolls in the opening will force the viewers to query why the dolls are there and whether they have any convenience an influence to the plot. The use of enigma code in our opening will make the viewer want to continue watching the entirety of the film.

Everyday Life

Through many debates on what we will include in our film opening to engage the audience, we have decided that we will not include the aspect of everyday life for a couple of reasons. Firstly, we only have a limited amount of time to intrigue the audience and by filling it up mostly with everyday life, the opening could be considered as boring and therefore result in weak connections madd wit the audience. Also through our opening we need to define the genre of our film and by including a lot of everyday life it could result in the genre of our film being vague and unclear. 

Plans For Shooting (Group Work)

Hair and Make Up
For the production, 'CAPTIVE' we aspire to use make up and costume as a significant aspect of our opening. We will acquire make-up to our leading character to associate our project with the conventions of media. Specific make-up will be applied to our main character in able to convey injuries such as bruising and cuts. Also we will make him look dirty to add a further realistic dimension to our opening. For this production we have contacted Lilly Pannifer, a local make-up artist with intermediate experience, who has clarified their availability on the dates of shooting. She has agreed that she will contribute and be responsible for this aspect of our film.

Lighting 
Due to the majority of our opening being shot in daylight hours we will rely mostly on the natural light source present on the day. The denouement of the film will be filmed into hours of darkness. For this we will experiment with lighting such as external flashes and strong torch lights to achieve the required effect. We already have the aforementioned light sources in our possession, so they are obtainable for our use on the day of filming.

Props

We will need many properties on the day for use to conform to the genre-specific conventions (mise-en-scéne). The props we will need to bring to the shoot are:

• Dolls (variety, china)
• Mirror
• Wooden Chair
• Tape Recorder
• Rope
• Fake Blood
• Black Hood
• Character's costume
• Character's Camera

Further Items items needed (not to be shown in film)

• Inflatable dingy
• Wheelbarrow for transportation
• Camera equipment ((tripod, filters, 3 DSLR's, Lenses (Fixed, Zooms, etc.) External Mic, External Flash)

Shot Types

Before the shoot, we have carried out extensive practise, in order to confirm the shot types that we will be using on the day. We have found that the shot types that we will be using most frequently are as follows:

• Close Ups
• Mid Shots
• Establishing Shots
• Extreme Close Ups
• Long Shots
• High-Angle Shots 
• Low- Angle Shots
• Tracking Shots
• Pans

Locations

We have finally confirmed the location of our shoot - North Weald Redoubt Fort. 87 Thornhill, North Weald Basset, Epping, CM16. This is completely accessible and we have made visits to the set in order to confirm any logistical queries such as transport and parking. The drive is approximately 15 minutes long and transport is not an issue, as our parents will willingly drive us. The closest public establishment is The King's Head pub, near to the car park of the building. This will be the place for us to visit in case of extreme emergency.

Final Location Decision - Sheet/Site Photographs (Group Work)

North Weald Redoubt Fort. Epping (Abandoned)

Importance of Genre and What it Means For My Opening

Why is Genre Important?

There are a number of reasons as to why it is important for the genre of a film to be established. In terms of production, generally production companies will be specific to a particular genre. This is beneficial to them for many reasons. Firstly, it means that they will be more experienced in their chosen field as the team such as directors, producers, set designers etc. will be suited to the genre. Due to this, they are able to create a more effective film for their audience as they will already have a strong idea of codes, conventions, methods and techniques in which the most successful films. Also, the companies will often be able to reuse resources, such as props.
Furthermore, due to this experience that the teams will have in their particular genre (in this case distribution companies), they will more likely know the best way in which films should be able to to be marketed, and therefore will be able to reach out the the largest audience possible and generate the most revenue from viewings. Also due to this, companies are more likely to receive finance etc. for their film production process as often they will have proven that they can generate a suitable profit from past creations.

In addition, genre is also importance from an audience point of view. The audience will usually be able to establish the genre of the film that they are seeing being advertised by the conventions that it possesses. For example, in the horror genre, seeing the colour red, which connotes violence and danger. It is imperative that the audience can establish the genre of the film before they partake in viewing it. This is important for many reasons. Firstly, the audience will be able to tell whether the film will be suited to their own preferences, as some people may prefer some genres to others. This means that they can make a decision on whether to view the film or not, and therefore know whether their money is being wasted if they choose to watch it.

What do these conventions mean for my film opening?

Setting: The location that we have chosen for our film is a derelict building within an abandoned redoubt fort. This is typical of the types of settings that would be found in horror movies, as the idea of abandonment is generally associated with isolation and therefore a lack of people (help) present, creating a sense of vulnerability among the victims and making it a more realistic environments for the stereotypical killer/antagonist. Not only this, but the fact that the building is derelict means that the overall aesthetic of the scene is very dingy and dirty, making for a more uncomfortable viewing for the audience.

Sound: In our film opening we will use a variety of sound typical to the horror genre. Firstly, we will choose an eerie, sustained, minor soundtrack to act as background music when the scene is introduced. This will create a sense of apprehension among the viewer and will be unnerving, especially when an unsettling scene is shown on screen. Furthermore, we will use individual sound effects to exaggerate synchronous sounds shown on screen, such as bangs and camera shutters. By using sound effects, we will be able to amplify usually quiet sounds in order to shock the audience.

Props: We will incorporate many typical props of the horror genre into the opening that we are going to create. Firstly, we plan to use old china-style dolls as a significant part of our opening. We will be placing them around the scene and they will be used to represent when the bad is going to take place. This also keeps up with the current trend of using dolls in films, as recently they have been used extensively, in horror films such as Annabelle and The Conjuring. Other props that we will feature will be: a rickety wooden chair, rope, fake blood and a black hood.

Character: Our main protagonist will be a male of around 20 years. We have chosen somebody of this age as it matches the main target audience of the film, and will therefore ensure that the character is related to more. From conducting our own research also, we have found this a very common age/sex of the protagonist. The antagonist will only appear very briefly in the opening. The character will be a young teenage girl, as from our research we have found that our target audience would generally find the most frightening.

Camera Work: In our opening, we will use a variety of shot types and camera movements. Close ups will be the most common shot type, as they are very effective at showing reaction as well as giving indications to the audience whilst creating enigma code. Also, we will often use extreme long shots as well as high angle shots to create a sense of vulnerability upon the character. Finally, there will be a variety of establishing shots throughout to give the viewers a good idea of the surroundings that the protagonist finds himself in.

Primary Research - Idea Feedback

George Ring

I like the story idea as it would build suspense and it is different from the other horror films that I have seen before. The original idea and the opening would be good and the setting sets the scene well, whilst jumping immediately into the action, avoiding boring introductions. I would go and watch this film based on the film opening, I also like the title as it is appropriate to the plot and it is the one I chose in the first title survey.

Grace Cambridge

I like the story idea as it creates suspense and it creates enigma codes within the beginning. The fact that the audience will get to see flashbacks is good because it allows them to understand different things about the setting. The name is well suited to the film as it tells the audience exactly what the film is about, I also like the title as it is the one i picked within the survey.

Ellie Burrell-Bicker

Overall I think that your film opening is overflowing with suspense and entertainment. It will keep your audience at the edge of their seat and the enigma code works well with making them question the situation that occurs in the very beginning of the film opening. You have thoroughly embraced the genre as being a horror by including all key aspects of current horror movies. Ending your film opening with a cut at an intense scene and then introducing the title is extremely effective because it's most likely that I will want to then go and see this film in cinema after seeing the opening, as will most people who view this film opening. The overall idea has also been well thought about and it is evident that the planning throughout the duration of these last few weeks has been merged together effectively to create a thrilling film opening. 

Danielle Fletcher

Personally, I feel the film opening appears very intense which engages the audience with the continuous suspense. The constant flashbacks creates enigma codes which will leave the audience dying to continue watching your film. I like how the scene cuts into a title screen and goes directly into the film as this leaves the audience questioning the scenes they have just seen.

Luke Sams 

I really like the group's film idea. Horror is my favourite genre and from reading the opening idea that they have produced, the film would definitely appeal to me. I like the way in which they create enigma code as the scene jumps straight into action, as this would entice the viewers into watching the remainder of the film. Also, i like the title 'Captive' as it completely relates to the plot, as the character in the opening is being held against his will.

Production Schedule (Isaac Randall 9655)

26/9/14 - We will start to individually think of title ideas and plot ideas, however these will not be definite.
9/10//14 - We will start to think of three initial ideas that can potentially be used as ideas for the opening. During this lesson we will present to the class our ideas in order to obtain audience feedback.

17/10/14 - We will plan out more story ideas.

24/10/14 - We will be proposing more story ideas; the audience will choose the best and most effective. The winner will be used as our opening.

5/11/14 - We will create a Talent release form, location scouting form, risk assessment form and location release form.  

7/11/14 - We will create a logo and choose the best one for our film opening. 

19/11/14 - We are going to create a logo animation individually. We will then choose the best one and use that as our logo animation when creating the film opening. We will also research the classification of previous film and films in our genre usually are rated before deciding on a suitable classification for our own film.

26/11/14 - We will create a mind map of potential film ideas as well as a Facebook page in order to let fans know how our creation is coming along. We will also research and find a suitable music source and seek audio permission from the chosen.

3/12/14 - We will collect our poll results for titles and post them on the blog with the winning title idea. 

5/12/14 - We will finish the research and planning and be ready to film our opening.
10/12/14 - 12/12/14 - We will begin thinking of the production in terms of individual shot types etc. by creating a storyboard, in order for us to have a precise plan to follow during the shoot. We will finalise plans for shooting, i.e logistics, props etc.

19/12/14 - 30/12/14 - We will aim to complete the filming in this period of time during the christmas holiday.

5/01/15 - We will start the editing process.
30/1/15 - We will complete a rough cut of our film
5/2/15 - We will begin working on the final cut, including ordering the sequence of the video and making it flow seamlessly.
10/2/15 - We will continue work on the final edit, beginning to add titles and colouring.
15/2/15 - We will finish the final cut.

Possible Shooting Locations Location Recce

1 - Externals of Kingsmoor House, Harlow (Abandoned)

2 - Parndon Wood Nature Reserve, Harlow