Wednesday, 11 March 2015

9188 George Thresher



The Premonition- Final piece


Preliminary Group Task


Wilderness Woods


 
Production

Wilderness Woods Production Log
Wilderness Woods Task Analysis
Concept Development and Animatic
Pitch Presentation
A Reflection on Shoot
My Role in Production

Logistics

Treatment for film opening
Concept Development
Risk Assessment and Call Sheet

Research

Paranormal Mood Board
History of Horror
Scream (Craven, 1996) Opening Sequence Analysis
Title Sequence Analysis of Insidious (Wan, 2010)
Technical Analysis of Friday the 13th
Collection of Potential Sound Effects

Audience Research

Audience Research Questionnaire
Rough Cut Feedback
Research Questionnaire


9201- Tom Wiles

Final Opening:



 Our Preliminary task:
  

Location recce Wilderness Woods practice task:

Evaluation:
Final Evaluation

Production:
Wilderness Woods Production Log
Wilderness Woods Task Analysis
Animatic From Storyboarding
Pitch
Shoot 1 Reflection
Production Log
Post Production Role
Shoot 2 Reflection
Rough Cut

Logistics:
Call Sheet and Risk Assessment
Planning for shoot
Concept Development
Some story-boarding ideas
Opening Treatment
Concept Development- Sound Effects

 Research:
Moodboard
Zombie Horror Research
Institutional Context Task
Opening Sequence Analysis
Technical Analysis
Title Sequence Analysis

Audience Research:
Rough Cut Feedback
Questionnaire Results
Pitch Presentation Feedback
Audience Questionnaire Template




9070 Harry Garside












Evaluation:
Final Evaluation

Production:
Rough Cut
Reflection on Shoot 1
Reflection on Shoot 2
Wilderness Woods Production Log
The Preminition
My Role In Production
Location Recce
Production Log Reflection on Shoot 1
Wilderness Woods Analysis

Logistics:
Concept Development With Animatic
Call Sheet&Risk Assessment
Planning For Shoot

Research:
Moodboard
Insitutional Context- Paranormal Activity
Opening Sequence Analysis- The Conjuring
Analysis of Title Sequence- Se7en
Shot by Shot Analysis- Woman In Black
Media Source 1

Audience Research:
Pitch Presentation and Feedback
Audience Feedback Results
Audience Questionnaire





















Friday, 6 March 2015

GT- Final Evaluation


Questions 1-6


I apologise for a few minor presentation errors that occurred through the process of using 'AuthorStream'.


  Question 7








HG- Final Evaluation

Harry Garside Powerpoint

 
Evaluation- Questions 1-6

 
Evaluation- Question 7
This is a short clip where we as a group discuss our progress from our original preliminary task to our final product. We converse about these improvements in terms of planning, narrative, mise-en-scene, plot and filming. We also talk about the strengths and weaknesses of our final piece.
 
 

TW- Final Evaluation


Evaluation Question 1:
 

Evaluation Question 2:
 

Evaluation Question 3:


Evaluation Question 6:



Group: Evaluation Question 7:


Group: Evaluation Question 4/5:





Friday, 30 January 2015

Group- Film Opening


Feedback- Tom Wiles:

Strengths

  • From audience testing many people liked the use of our soundtrack, saying it fits well with the visuals and the high pitched, discordant sounds of the flashbacks were very effective in creating a sinister, scary feeling about the piece which shocked audiences (this was the effect we wanted to create).
  • Audiences also thought our camera work was excellent, especially the frequent short and long tracking shots which revealed various props as well as our protagonist in the sequence. They also liked the use of pull focus shots and canted angle shots, saying it made the piece more professional and more fitting to our thriller/horror genre.
  • Additionally, people thought our location was perfect, saying the caravans dingy, dull and abandoned look created a more visceral experience for most people and believed that its small, confined space actually contributed to build enigma.
  • Finally, another strength included the high quality resolution of the picture and audiences believed that this made the sequence seem like an actual film.
Improvements
  • Some people thought that a couple of the shots looked a little bit shaky, which did not fit as well with the piece as it should.
  • One person thought that the edited effects and composition of the flashbacks did not look very effective, that our group should improve the look of these flashbacks to make it more clear and sinister.
  • Lastly, a few people thought the continuity of our sequence could be improved, saying that providing more shots with movement of our protagonist should be added to make our sequence just that little bit better.


Thursday, 29 January 2015

GT- Reflection on shoot 2

We planned to conclude the entire shoot on January 25th, meaning we had to capture all the shots in the caravan, which would constitute around 70% of footage in the entire sequence in one day. Also, having had trouble with the camera track and dolly on the previous shoot (specifically issues with the stability of the track), we had the idea of taking full advantage of it inside the caravan where stability would be significantly improved on the smoother surface of the caravan.

  • My first role in this shoot was transportation of the track and dolly. Likewise with shoot 1, it was my responsibility to collect the track and dolly and make sure it got to the shoot location on time. I also picked up a group member, Harry, and transported him to the location too. It was vital for the group that we made the most of what little time we had to finish the shoot, so timing with transportation would play a significant role in the outcome of the shoot. Whilst I was transporting Harry and some of the equipment, Tom was preparing the caravan for the second shoot, making sure the camera batteries were fully charged and checking the SD card had available space from our first shoot.
  • During the shoot I played the antagonist, a masked, hooded man. This role would include little in terms of acting as Harry had on screen prevalence as the victim throughout the entire sequence, leaving me a brief amount of time on screen.
  • We all shared a role of suggesting a variety of shots to take at the time and how to improve the shots predetermined in class before the shots. for example, we introduced the cupboard shot at the time, as well as the tracking shot along the small objects in the foreground and Harry in the background.
  • Another role that I played in the shoot was operating the camera. Though Tom shot the majority of the shots taken that day, occasionally I was needed to help create a shot, an example being the track along the small objects previously mentioned. 
  • The entire group contributed in setting up the equipment, such as the track and dolly which required a fair amount of assembly. We also all worked together in making sure the track would be smooth, which involved positioning objects under the track to even the surface. This took time as the track is naturally unstable, emphasised through its wheels detaching numerous times throughout the shoot. 



Wednesday, 28 January 2015

TW- Reflection of shoot 2


During our second shoot on the 25th of January 2015, we focused and captured all remaining shots needed in and around the caravan, this included various close ups as well as tracking shots. My role within this shoot included the following:
  • Before the other group members arrived, as with shoot one, I gathered all props, equipment and anything else we would need and put them in the caravan. This allowed maximum efficiency whilst shooting as everything we would need was always with us, saving us a lot of time and allowing us to quickly start our shoot after our short briefing. I also proceeded to make sure any health and safety risks around/in the caravan were removed or minimized, this included clearing glass and china shards from the caravan to make sure no one would cut and injure themselves.
  • Furthermore, I made sure we had sufficient space on our cameras SD card so there would be no problem with re-filming shots if they were not to the standard we expected. I also fully charged two camera batteries so that, as said before, there would be no problems or delays within our shoot, allowing our time filming to be as quick but also as efficient as possible.
  •  During the shoot, I was the main person to film the majority of the shots, combined with creative ideas which allowed development on how to improve each shot from the other two group members George and Harry. The storyboards really helped with this as it allowed us to identify what shots we needed to capture and how we would position and frame them, saving us a lot of time. This meant I had to always be careful when filming not to reveal anything in shot that should not be there, for example a reflection of the camera or the dolly and track.
  • Proceeding the shoot, in class I have been cutting and editing the footage we had captured on the Premiere Elements software, I have also been experimenting with the positioning of typography and various after effects we can add to the sequence for example filters for the short flashback scenes in our opening. Finally, I had also come up with the idea to add a soundtrack to the sequence, deciding that 'When I Paint My Masterpiece' by 'The Band' would be most appropriate and then developing this idea.
  • Other tasks I completed on the day, with help from the other group members, were: Assembling both the dolly and track for use, attaching and detaching the camera from the tripod I had provided at various points in the shoot. I provided the fake blood and applied it for use in some of our flashbacks, finally making sure anything untidy that I had not cleared up from our last shoot was removed or resolved.

HG- Reflection on Shoot 2

Reflection on Shoot 2

Our second shoot was on Sunday 25th January, we knew that this was going to be our last time to shoot as the deadline was just five days from then. Because of this, we was extremely efficient and well prepared in terms of props and clear ideas for framing our shots. My teammate George picked me up at around 10:30am on Sunday morning; we arrived at the location at 11pm. We were all set up by 11:15am after we had got all of our equipment ready and after a brief group discussion.

All of our shots in this particular shoot was inside the caravan and our storyboard helped us in terms of the overall look of shot and framing. Occasionally, each of us individually thought of some innovative shots that would be extremely effective for our clip, in particular these were towards the end of the clip as we wanted to make it look as good as possible.
Our shoot finished at around 4pm after 5 hours of non-stop filming. By the end, we were extremely pleased with our piece and there was a sense of relief as at times we didn't think we would be able to finish. I am very pleased with our attitude and work ethic and I am delighted with how we persevered and showed resilience throughout both our shoots.

After our first shoot, we were a little bit anxious as a group after not shooting as much as we would've liked. However, rather than affecting us in a negative way, it motivated us further to finish on time and to shoot to perfection, which indeed we did. In this shoot, we attempted to make each shot as innovative and unique as possible and I think this was achieved in the majority of our shots. The shots I am most pleased with from Shoot 2 are the mirror shot, the pliers shot and the blood on the caravan shot. These are the main shots that we innovatively thought of during our shoot.

GT-Potential Sound Effects

These are some of the potential sound effects that may be featured in our film sequence.


These sounds will be used in the first flashback where pliers are seen crushing a finger, hence the ‘Bone crunching’ sound. These non-diegetic sound effects are extremely horrific, which is vital in order to replicate the horrific nature of the shot with the sound.


This drone sound, likewise with the bone crunching sounds is non-diegetic. It could potentially play through the entire film sequence. It is iconic in horror films in creating tension through its layering of various drone pitches, making it suitable for our horror film.


This flashback sound is, again, non-diegetic, and will feature in each flashback in order to convey to the audience that it IS in fact a flashback, hopefully avoiding confusion. The sound itself is sharp and high pitch creating a sense of disjunction through each flashback.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq2e7DPhyHg -We also plan on using 'When I Paint My Masterpiece' by 'The Band' as a backing track. If we do decide to do this then the drone sounds above will not be used to avoid them clashing. 

https://www.freesound.org/people/ejfortin/sounds/49704/ -This knife slash sound may feature during the slash of the crow bar followed by the splattering of blood on the side of the caravan (as shown through the picture below)






Tuesday, 27 January 2015

TW- Post Production Role

During the past 2-3 lessons, I have been working on the post production of our opening sequence. This included:
  • Uploading any shots we had captured during our shoots onto the D drive of the computer and transferring them into our Premiere Elements editing software in order to be edited and placed in a timeline. I did this by selecting the 'Get media' button within the software and transferring them via files and folders.

  • Using the clips on the timeline (as shown to the right), I would then have to cut the shots down in order to fit the time frame specification for our opening as well as making sure the piece looks both more continuous and realistic, removing any unwanted frames of the clip, for example, when there is moments in each shot were either nothing had been revealed to the audience, there was no movement in the shot or when the diegetic sound mix from the shots were unneeded or unrealistic.

  • I have also been testing and using various post production effects we could add to the sequence to make it of higher quality. These effects included some fades in and out of shots, changing the speed of these fades to match well with the sequence. I have also tested the various speeds in which our shots could be shown at, this could be either making a certain shot with more slow motion or increasing the motion of the on screen movement.
  • Furthermore, I have cut appropriate shots into the timeline which will allow space for opening titles within diverse and simplistic clips, this is because our group decision was to have typography on screen as the sequence progresses, not cutting to, for example, a blank screen to allow spacing throughout the opening for introductory titles.

Friday, 23 January 2015

HG/GT/TW Call Sheet/Risk Assessment Shoot 1


TWGSB Media Studies Film Production

Call Sheet & Shot list

 

Date: 15/01/15  Location: Caravan and Woods, Tom’s house grounds

Meeting Time: 7:30am    Group: 9      

 

Crew & Cast Contact details:
 
Tom Wiles
_____________________         Phone: 07815619285
Harry Garside
_____________________         Phone: 07715850709
George Thresher
_____________________         Phone: 07714863403
 

 

Props & Equipment                               crew responsible
 
Bottle                                          Tom Wiles, Harry Garside and George
Fake blood                                      Thresher. Tom will provide all props
Weapon (either axe or crowbar)                  and camera and SD card. The
Pliers                                          track and tripod will be borrowed
Mask                                            from school on behalf of all group
Rucksack                                        members.
Hiking boots
Bottle glass shards
Tripod
Camera
SD card
Track
 

 

Location
Shot number (on storyboard)
Cast
Technical notes
Woodland
 
-
Still shot of stream
Woodland
 
-
Worms eye view through tree
Woodland
 
Harry
Medium long shot of Harry
Woodland
 
-
Pan shot, long
field
 
Harry
Caravan in background, pull focus, Over shoulder shot
Caravan
 
Harry
Tracking shot across caravan
Caravan
 
Harry
Tracking shot reveals Harry by the door
Woodland
 
Harry
Pull focus of fence, Harry in the background




TWGSB Media Studies Film Production

Risk Assessment

 

 

You need to consider all the potential risks at each location shoot and outline how you will work to prevent any accident or injury to you, your cast or the equipment.

 

 

Location
What is the hazard?
 
Think about road safety, filming at night, potential damage to equipment
Who/what might be harmed and why?
 
Think about who needs to be aware of the risk
How will you reduce the risk?
 
 
What steps will you take to ensure that the risk is lowered?
Signed
 
Approved by JF, CF, KJ
 
Tom’s house grounds, woods
 
 
 
 
Possible trip hazards from branches
Group members may be injured if they slip or trip over. Also, less importantly, equipment may get damaged in the process.
Be cautious around these hazardous areas. Pay attention to other members of the group to warn them of trip hazards if they go unseen.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lakes and Rivers
The castor other members of the group may slip and fall into the small rivers and lakes around, risk of hypothermia
Do not go near them if possible and if not, then use extra caution when walking around them
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stray Horse
Cast members and equipment may get harmed if the horse that’s located on Tom’s grounds attacks
Keep clear of the horse at all times
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Falling Branches
Due to the dense woodland, there is a great risk of falling branches that could harm the group members and cast
Be aware of abnormal sounds from the trees and be cautious at all times.