Genre Mind Map

Storyboard

Shooting Calender/Schedule

Shooting Calender

All shooting is to take place on Wednesday the 1st of April. From 6pm – 12am.




Shooting Schedule

Shooting will be done in sequence, in order for the natural outdoor lighting to maintain continuity, and also to make the editing process easier.

Character/Actor List


Daniel (Teenage Male) – Matthew Leigh

Eric (Dead Brother) – Matthew Leigh

Jane (Mother) – Jane Leigh


Props List

Family Photograph

Bowl of cereal and spoon

Keys

Hand written note.

Locations/Settings

Family Home – Kitchen, Porch, Bedroom and living room.

Bus Stop

Empty Street.


Equipment List

Camera

Tripod

Make up to whiten dead brother

Green Screen

Computer with final cut/i-movie for editing

Garage band for incidental music (midi input needed)

Logo Creation

I will be using Adobe Photoshop 7 for this, as it is the version I have on my home pc.

Initial screen of program running.

First I will need to find some royalty free art to use as my basic design. I am thinking of using some kind of moon icon, so that shall be the basis of my search.

The clipart image I settled on as the base of my logo design.

I now have my image, and will start work on it to incorporate it into a company logo I can use on a title card at the beginning of my sequence.

First I will create a background;

Image with background layer.

I will now add my company name to the image, using the text tool.

I have added my text, and edited it to make it fit more smoothly with the background. I have added shadow and emboss effects, and put the text on top of the background layer.

Now my logo is ready, and all I have to do is save it.

Title Sequence

Opening credits order

 

In the 2008 horror film ‘Mirrors,’ the opening credits run in the following order;

Main Role

 

Supporting roles

 

Casting by

 

Costumer Designers

 

Music By

Special Effects  Make up

Co – Producer

 

Editor

 

Production designer

 

Director of photography

 

Executive producers

 

Produced by

 

Screenplay by

 

Directed by

 

As I will not need Costume designer, Special effects, Executive Producer, Make Up or Co – Producer credits, my titles will run in this order;

 

Main Actor

 

Supporting Actors

 

Casting

 

Music By

 

Editor

 

Production Designer

 

Director of Photography

 

Produced by

 

Screenplay by

 

Directed by

Pitch

Pitch

My opening sequence shall start with a blank screen. A noise of a bus coming to a stop will be heard, and so shall the sound of a bus door opening. The bus will then be heard to drive off and the screen will fade into a shot of young man’s feet, the camera will pan up and track the teenager as he walks away from the bus stop, and the title music shall commence, along with the first opening credits coming up on screen. The next shot will be a long shot showing the young man walking down a dark, sparse, street, lit only by the amber glow of the streetlamps. The incidental music will be quiet and melancholy at this point, and all else shall remain silent. Next we shall see the man enter a door to a large house, and come to an inner door, where a note shall be stuck saying that the young man’s mother shall not be home tonight until late. The boy will peel this note of the door and continue through, the camera shall switch to the other side of the door and follow him as he comes in, but as the boy puts his bag down the camera shall continue to pan, and end up focused on a photograph stood on the table, consisting of two boys and an older women, their mother. This shot will not be held for a great length of time though, as the boy will slam the picture down so it can no longer be seen. The camera will focus on his face, and he will display some signs of discomfort.

The camera will cut to inside a dark room, which is barely visible until the boy enters and switches the light on. The room will be empty, and the boy will look uncomfortable. He’ll move through the room to the window and gaze out. After a short while, there will be a noise, and something will pass briefly into the view of the camera, but behind the boys back. He will turn around sharply, looking for any sign of the source of the noise, but to no avail. He will turn back to the window for a second, and then exit the room.

The camera will then cut to a close up of the photo shown previously, lying face down onto the table. The boy will be almost visible in the background, and clattering and slamming noises will be audible. The picture will cut to a medium close up of the boy, sitting at the table, eating some cereal. Shortly, a noise similar to the noise previously heard will occur. The boy will remain still for a few seconds, but then commence eating his cereal. The noise will be heard again, this time louder. The boy will slowly get up and move towards the source. The camera will follow him, using an over the shoulder shot. He will move into a different room, and look carefully, but will find nothing. The noise will then be heard much louder, and the camera will switch you the front of the boy, enabling the viewers to see a dark figure very close behind him. The picture will then cut to the title.

I believe that my film has the ability to do well, as it will make use of many mediums that are used in modern horrors today, whilst incorporating elements from the independent film industry, for a fresh feel to an old genre.

The ‘classic’ elements that I shall be using are enigmas and mysteries within the story, for instance the mystery of the missing brother and the empty room. I shall also be using low key lighting, suspense building incidental music and a sound that acts as a symbol for the horror. All of these elements were incorporated in the hit horror film, ‘The Grudge,’ which has made gross revenue of $187,281,115, on just a $10 million budget, making it one of the most profitable films of the year (2004).

Creative Ideas

Creative Ideas

 

Camera Work

 

I am going to be using a range of different shot types including;

 

Long shots, to show the setting, I am also going to hold these for a short while, to create a sense of loneliness and emptiness for the viewers.

 

Medium Close ups, to show facial expressions.

 

Close ups, to show certain details, for example the photograph of the family. This helps me set up my enigmas.

 

Medium shots, to show the characters in detail whilst also displaying part of the background.

 

Over the shoulder shots, to show the viewers only what the character sees, whilst also displaying the characters movement and body language. This will help me implement the fear and tension into the film.

 

 

Enigmas/Mysteries

 

My film will revolve around a certain event that will be held back from the viewer. But certain clues will be implemented. A photograph of a family with two brothers, when only one brother is present. An empty room, a seemingly vengeful spirit and what appears to be, a guilt ridden brother.

 

Lighting, sound and Mise en Scene

 

I will make use of low-key lighting when possible, and leave a lot of silence in the film. With these techniques I am aiming to create and awkward, dark and miserable feeling to the film, with the silences giving the audience time to think about the events of the film. The main character will show signs of discomfort with life in general, and will not smile, laugh or be shown to have fun. The large house will be messy and unfinished inside, reflecting dark, messy theme of the film.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

Synopsis of my film

 

My film starts by introducing the main character, a teenage boy called Daniel. He is quiet, and seemingly holding some guilt. He is haunted by visions of his dead brother, and has fallen out of touch with society, even alienating himself from his mother.

As we go through the film we see how he pushes everyone in his life away, and his visions of his brother become gradually more vivid and twisted. One day his brother appears to him, and tells him to admit what he’s done, Daniel refuses flatly and screams at his brother to go away forever. For a while it appears that he has done just that, and the visions stop. Slowly Daniel begins to rebuild his relationships once more, and starts to become happier. But soon enough the people he is beginning to get close to start to die in mysterious circumstances, just as Daniel gets close to them. His brother reappears, and tells him that he will not relent until Daniel admits to his guilt, or kills himself. Unable to face the world after admitting that he in-fact murdered his brother, Daniel hangs himself, writing an confession his suicide note. At the end of the film we see his mother at his funeral, tearing the note up, hinting that she never let it be publicly known that he was guilty. The long dead brother appears once more, this time to her.

BBFC research

Age Certificate

 

The BBFC (British board of film certification) has six different age certifcates, which are awarded to a film based on what audience they are suitable for.

 

U or Uc – These films are suitable for everyone (Uc meaning they are particularly good for preschool children). They are very restricted to what they are able to contain. For instance they are allowed only very mild bad language, no direct sexual content or nudity and no drug references. Only mild violence is allowed and only ‘occasional mild threat or menace only,’ meaning that this certificate would be unsuitable for a horror film, and therefore unsuitable for my film.

 

PG – PG Films are still aimed to be mostly child friendly, meaning that the certificate still carries many of the confines of U, in particular the restrictions on violence and horror, making it unsuitable for my film.

 

12/12A – 12’s are allowed a slightly more mature theme than the lower certificates, allowing more nudity, violence and horror. Swearing is also allowed, but must be infrequent. Whilst the guidelines allow some horror elements to be implemented, it is hard to make a complete horror film that can be certificated as a 12, due to the fact that ‘Violence must not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood.

 

15 – 15 is a popular certificate for modern horror films. It holds little constraint for horror content, except for large amounts of gore. For my film I will try to use psychological horror elements rather than excessive gore, much like ‘The Grudge’ and ‘The Ring’, which were two popular horror films that were certified 15’s. The advantage of my film being a 15 over being an 18 is that 15’s are available to a wider audience, and therefore should make a higher profit in the box office.

 

18 – 18 is the highest age certificate given to commercial films. There are little restrictions on 18’s apart from with certain sexual themes, or where the content is deemed to risk harm to individuals. I do not believe that my film will contain enough explicit content to be awarded an 18 certificate, as I do not feel it is necessary for my story, and also it will be better commercially to be awarded a 15 certificate.

 

I have decided to aim for a 15 certificate, as I believe this will allow me to do everything I want within the film without restrictions, whilst also appealing to a wide market. Some examples of successful horrors with a 15 certificate are;

 

‘The Grudge’ (2004) – Grossed $187,281,115

‘The Ring’ (2002) – Grossed $249,348,933

‘Mirrors’ (2008) – Grossed $72,436,439 (so far)

 

Ju-on; The Grudge - Opening Sequence Analysis

Ju-on; The Grudge – Opening sequence analysis

 

 

The film begins with on screen text telling us about the legend of the ju-on curse, that it is a ‘curse born of a grudge held by someone who dies in the grip of anger.’

We are then shown an establishing shot of a dark narrow street. The camera has a fuzzy type effect, it then cuts to a shot of a specific house, and the noise of a cat can be heard. Next there is a close up of what appears to be blood, running down a wall. While in none of these shots we see an event taking place, there is certainly a dark mood being set. Along with the film there is creepy sounding music playing in the background, adding to the tense feel.

Next we are shown a close up of someone’s leg, which is twitching up and down quickly. We can also see scissors on the floor and what appears to be a cut up photograph.  Another close up is used next, of a man who appears to be nervously chewing his bloodied fingers.  From what we are shown we can guess that this man is perhaps not mentally stable, and certainly nervous about something. The fact that we don’t know what yet makes us eager to find out, although slightly nervous ourselves as to what the event that has taken place is.

A montage of bloodied walls and the man is shown, followed by close ups of what appears to be a bloodied corpse, and finally the cat which we have been hearing. Whilst we are shown many different things during this sequence, it is all done in close ups and medium close ups, so we are never able to see the full picture. This adds to the sense of mystery. We see the cat get grabbed by the neck violently, and as the camera cuts to a shot of a small child drawing, we hear a sound, which is most likely the cat being killed. Once again we do not see this on screen, but instead the film suggests it to us.

 

Quick shots are used, and we only see flashes of the scene, but we are able to make out spatters of blood in every shot, and a cutaway to a small knife being wielded by the man shows us that he is perhaps behind the gruesome scene. We are also shown a close up of the dead characters face, which is pale and completely still, but with wide eyes, maybe showing that she was shocked when she died. We can come to the conclusion that this was a family, the male, his wife and his child and pet. The opening sequence ends with the title of the film being displayed.

 

Low key lighting and a fuzzy camera effect are used throughout the sequence, both contributing to the dark feel of the film, and the fuzzy effect might be representative of the male characters insanity. All of the events taking place are suggested rather than shown, through various mediums, making the audience piece together the clues themselves, and therefore involving them more. We can guess that the remainder of the film will explain in more detail of the events, and show perhaps why what happened what happened, and what will happen next. Straight cuts are used, giving the sequence a fast paced and jumpy feel.

 

'Mirrors' opening sequence analysis

‘Mirrors’ opening sequence analysis

 

‘Mirrors’ is a horror film released in 2008. After the initial company screens, the movie starts with a low angle close up of a man’s face. He is running and has a strained expression on his face. The camera cuts a few times, each time refocusing on his face in a medium close up. Because of this we are able to see the maintained strained look on his face as he runs. We also see the character glance behind him a couple of times, giving the impression he expects someone to be after him. As the initial shot is pointed up at his face, we are also able to see lights passing on the ceiling above him. In the background what sounds like a subway train is heard, allowing us to deduce he is in a subway train station. In the next few shots glances of scruffy, graffitied backgrounds are visible also. The dark mood of the film is enhanced by the use of low-key lighting.

 

The running character then reaches a mesh gate, which he cannot open. The medium close-up used here allows us to once again see the strain and anxiety on his face.

 

A long shot is then used, showing a subway train pass a platform, confirming that the scene is set in a subway station. The man appears as the train leaves the frame, this time with his whole body visible. He is still running, and the camera tracks him has he moves along the platform. He appears to be wearing what looks like a police or security guards uniform, hinting that this may be his job, and also emphasising that what he is running away from must be pretty bad, as his job is to deal with trouble, not run away from it. Still in the long shot he arrives at a gap in the wall, where an exit sign is visible in the background, the character moves towards it. The camera then cuts to the reflection of the man on the polished ceiling, which the man appears to be looking at himself. This is foreshadowing the coming events, and also as the title of the movie is ‘Mirrors’ it will invoke interest in the viewers, as the connection between the title and the use of reflections is evident. The film then cuts to another long shot as the character comes to the door. The lighting around the door is very dark, bringing the viewers attention directly to the door. A close up is used as the character fumbles with a padlock on the door, as he struggles in vein to force it open the camera pans up to his face, allowing to us to see the anguish and distress on his face. This quickly changes to an expression of hope and determination as he looks side to side and spots a fire extinguisher to the side of the door. The camera zooms out so we can see the character pull the fire extinguisher up and use it to bash the door open. Match on action is then used as he moves through the door to the other side. Once again a medium shot is used here, which shows us the brief expression of relief displayed on the characters face as he takes a moment to catch his breath, the camera then pans to see what the character sees, which is an open door. Quickly the character moves through the door and spots a window, once again a close up is used, with an eye line match, showing us the character as he moves forward, focusing on the window. The light in the room is flickering on and off also, adding to the panicky feel. As he realises the window is blocked from the other side, and therefore unviable for escape, the character utters the first piece of dialogue of the film, ‘fuck!’

This use of this swear word re-emphasises the distress and anxiety of the character, once again making the viewer wonder what he is running away from.

 

The lockers in the room where the character is situated then begin to open mysteriously, once again a medium close up is used as the character turns around slowly, panic and fear clearly visible on his face. The camera then cuts to each locker in turn, showing the character’s reflection in the locker mirrors. This once again links to the title, and perhaps gives the sense that something is about to happen. The character then walks towards a large wall mirror, which begins to crack. He appears to talk to his reflection, apologising and saying ‘he wasn’t running away.’ He abruptly breaks down; begging for forgiveness, with a series of medium close ups showing his face screw up in fear and remorse.

A shard of the mirror falls away from the wall and onto the floor. There is a cut away to it, and the character is shown to pick it up. This is done from behind the character in a medium shot, and we see as the character bends down to pick it up, his reflection does not move, but a very different expression can be seen on his reflections face, one that is cold and angry.  The ‘shot, reverse-shot’ technique is used between the character and his reflection, as his reflection draws the shard the character picked up across his throat. Although the character himself doesn’t do anything himself, we see as the camera is on him that his neck tears open, and blood begins to gush out. We are also able to see the extreme terror on his face as this happens. The movie then cuts to the title sequence.

 

Through the opening scene low key lighting is used, adding to the dark feel. Also straight cuts are used in every cut, this is likely to maintain the fast paced and panicky theme that the film has, reflecting the characters emotions as he runs. The backdrop is quite dark and tinted green, a colour often associated with evil.

 

 

Investigation into similar genres

Investigation into similar genres

 

 

Action

 

Action films are usually fast paced with a large budget, used to create special effects, stunts, gun battles and high speed chases. They usually contain very distinct, often two-dimensional heroes (the good guys) and the opposition, generically evil ‘bad guys.’

The hero tends to kill numerous amounts of unnamed ‘bad guy’ henchman to get to the leader of the ‘bad guys.’ Personal vendettas between the protagonist and antagonist commonly exist.

 

I have decided not to make an action film due to the need for a high budget, and access to high quality special effects.

 

 

Dramas

 

Dramas, unlike action films, generally portray realistic characters, settings and events in a serious narrative. Character development and interaction is a main focus of the films. Usually they contain minimal special effects, and can be made on a low budget. The script is arguably of a greater importance in dramas than other genres. There is also a greater focus on the acting ability of the lead roles.

 

I have chosen not to do a drama as I am limited in options with actors, and so finding good actors to carry the roles well would be difficult.

 

Science Fiction

 

Science Fiction films generally contain a futuristic theme, including advanced technology and aliens. They tend to rely heavily on special effects and extravagant sets. Their aim is escapism, and they can also sometimes contain horror elements. Sometimes they share a few qualities with action films, in that they tend to have a main, singular hero, and the ‘bad guys.’ Mostly the hero will prevail after many setbacks.

 

Much like action films, I have chosen not to do a sci-fi film due to my low budget, and lack of access to high quality special effects.

 

 

Westerns

 

Westerns are a classic genre in the American Film industry. They portray the early days of the American frontier. They contain similar plot elements to action films, with ‘bad guys’ and ‘goodies,’ though the distinction between the two is less clear in westerns sometimes, with the ‘goodies’ still being thieves and outlaws. The ‘cowboys and Indians’ theme is also a common theme in westerns. You can expect to see dusty towns full of wooden housing, saloon bars and cowboys wielding revolvers.

 

I have chosen not to make a western film due to the location not being one I can access easily, and also my low budget.