Friday, 13 February 2015
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Wednesday, 10 December 2014
Opening Plans
The opening will start with the main character being dragged unconscious into a room or open plan building by two other people, with possibly some unimportant dialogue, and being dumped onto the floor along with a bag. It will fade to black for some titles, throughout this there will be a voiceover giving some back story. It will fade back into the same shot with the person waking up and taking in his surrounding and finding the bag next to him. He will open the bag finding a note explaining the situation (which the voice over will read out), some water, some food and a weapon which will most likely be a paper plane or possible something a bit more deadly.
Some gunshots will be heard in the background which will cause the main character to look up. It will then cut to the main picking up his bag and weapon, walking to the door, opening it and walking out. There will be some erie music probably low key piano music possible by the infamous Tim Minchin playing throughout the opening with some titles over-layed upon the video footage and some fading to a black out for the title.
Depending on the amount of time remaining it might also include the main character walking away from the building and encountering another player in this death game trying to reason with him and failing, leading to his first kill.
Some gunshots will be heard in the background which will cause the main character to look up. It will then cut to the main picking up his bag and weapon, walking to the door, opening it and walking out. There will be some erie music probably low key piano music possible by the infamous Tim Minchin playing throughout the opening with some titles over-layed upon the video footage and some fading to a black out for the title.
Depending on the amount of time remaining it might also include the main character walking away from the building and encountering another player in this death game trying to reason with him and failing, leading to his first kill.
Audience feedback:
I have received a fair bit of audience feedback in person from friends and family all of them like what I have outlined above and think that it will make for an effective opening as it is. A suggestion made by a couple of people was the possibility of seeing additional characters within the opening like someone friendly towards the main character.
Brief structural story outline
An underground organisation has been abducting apparently random groups of people every month and forcing them to participate in sadistic fights to the death on abandoned islands/cities or isolated locations where the last person standing gets to leave with their life.
The story follows a man from a military background who has not only risked his life for his country but to help make the world a better place. He has been selected for the next game but does not want to participate, he attempts to find a way to get as many people as he can of off the island and with the help of other military people, also in the same death match, will successful but maybe not as much as he would wish.
The story follows a man from a military background who has not only risked his life for his country but to help make the world a better place. He has been selected for the next game but does not want to participate, he attempts to find a way to get as many people as he can of off the island and with the help of other military people, also in the same death match, will successful but maybe not as much as he would wish.
Plans for shooting
Hair and Make-up
-messy hair and dirty looking faces for contestants
-Clean and tidy for underground organisation
Costumes
-ragged clothing- untidy and dirty
- supplied by cast
-Gas Masks
- Supplied by two cast members
-Combat fatigues
- Supplied by cast members
Lighting
- Natural lighting mostly
- standard household lights for indoor shots
Shot Types
- Establishing Shot
- Close-up Shot
- Over the Shoulder Shot
- Long Shot
- Extreme Long Shot
Props
- Imitation weapons (airsoft weapons)
- Supplied by cast member
- Axe/Machete
- Supplied by me or cast member
-messy hair and dirty looking faces for contestants
-Clean and tidy for underground organisation
Costumes
-ragged clothing- untidy and dirty
- supplied by cast
-Gas Masks
- Supplied by two cast members
-Combat fatigues
- Supplied by cast members
Lighting
- Natural lighting mostly
- standard household lights for indoor shots
Shot Types
- Establishing Shot
- Close-up Shot
- Over the Shoulder Shot
- Long Shot
- Extreme Long Shot
Props
- Imitation weapons (airsoft weapons)
- Supplied by cast member
- Axe/Machete
- Supplied by me or cast member
Friday, 5 December 2014
Location Scouting Sheet
1) Risdens Wood, Harlow
Risdens would be good to shoot at as it offers both a largish field and a wooded area to shoot in, as well as having a small usually dirty hut that may be usable.
2) Dane mead wood
Dane mead offers a fairly large and dense wood land that I could shoot in as well as being surrounded by more woodland most of which is public.
3) Harlow Common
Harlow common offers a fairly large open field along with massive sections of woodland of varying densities, and although it does not have any building I think this is one of the areas that I will use to shoot my opening.
4) Overhall Farm
Overhall Farm as the name suggests is a farm although it features a large semi-derelict storage building with silos inside, it is nice and dark/dingy and will suit my opening nicely.
Risdens would be good to shoot at as it offers both a largish field and a wooded area to shoot in, as well as having a small usually dirty hut that may be usable.
2) Dane mead wood
Dane mead offers a fairly large and dense wood land that I could shoot in as well as being surrounded by more woodland most of which is public.
3) Harlow Common
Harlow common offers a fairly large open field along with massive sections of woodland of varying densities, and although it does not have any building I think this is one of the areas that I will use to shoot my opening.
4) Overhall Farm
Overhall Farm as the name suggests is a farm although it features a large semi-derelict storage building with silos inside, it is nice and dark/dingy and will suit my opening nicely.
Importance of Genre
Genre is important to both the audience and the institutions as it defines what kind of things the film is going to include and the overall look/feel of the film. The audience will use the genre of the film to help decide wether or not they may like it or not as all films of a particular genre will include similarities. The institutions will use the genre to help with the marketing of the film, if they know the genre they can use iconography typical for that genre like horror films usually use lots of blood and gore.
Production companies are generally genre specific this is beneficial for them as they become more and more experienced in that particular area, building up a base of directors, producers, designers and actors who tailor for their genre. Due to this they are able to more effectively produce films in their given genre as they will already have a good idea of the conventions and codes as well as possibly being able to re-use costumes and props to reduce costs.
The audiences generally prefer being able to determine the genre of a film before they partake in the viewing especially if they paying to see it. This way they know if the film will be suited to their preferences before they spend any money, as no-one wants to pay to see a film they won't like.
What this means for my film opening?
Setting: The location I have chosen is a field with some woodland and a small derelict wooden barn. These things are typical of horror film, as abandoned/open empty places are usually associated with isolation and therefore a lack of living people present creating a sense of vulnerability. Also the overall aesthetics of the scene will be very dingy/dirty making for a more uncomfortable audience viewing.
Sound: I will use a variety of typical horror genre sounds probably including a eerie, sustained soundtrack for backing music and sound effects like distant gunshots and sticks breaking it the woods. The idea of this is to unnerve the audience and crate apprehension.
Props: I will include some props typical to horror films like knives and axes, imitation firearms and fake blood, to try an make it seem more realistic.
Camerawork: I will use a range of camera shot and movements probably including some handheld shot and some point of view shot to try to involve the audience more in the film and create more tension.
Production companies are generally genre specific this is beneficial for them as they become more and more experienced in that particular area, building up a base of directors, producers, designers and actors who tailor for their genre. Due to this they are able to more effectively produce films in their given genre as they will already have a good idea of the conventions and codes as well as possibly being able to re-use costumes and props to reduce costs.
The audiences generally prefer being able to determine the genre of a film before they partake in the viewing especially if they paying to see it. This way they know if the film will be suited to their preferences before they spend any money, as no-one wants to pay to see a film they won't like.
What this means for my film opening?
Setting: The location I have chosen is a field with some woodland and a small derelict wooden barn. These things are typical of horror film, as abandoned/open empty places are usually associated with isolation and therefore a lack of living people present creating a sense of vulnerability. Also the overall aesthetics of the scene will be very dingy/dirty making for a more uncomfortable audience viewing.
Sound: I will use a variety of typical horror genre sounds probably including a eerie, sustained soundtrack for backing music and sound effects like distant gunshots and sticks breaking it the woods. The idea of this is to unnerve the audience and crate apprehension.
Props: I will include some props typical to horror films like knives and axes, imitation firearms and fake blood, to try an make it seem more realistic.
Camerawork: I will use a range of camera shot and movements probably including some handheld shot and some point of view shot to try to involve the audience more in the film and create more tension.
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