Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts

Saturday, 31 March 2012

Age Group

Developing my research from film genre, I wanted to find out what age group people watch horror films.


Looking at this research I have found the age group of 10 – 30 is the most popular for watching horror films. This mainly consists of teenagers and young adults. When asking the people who watch this genre, in what environment do they watch these films?  The majority answered ‘with a group of friends at one of our houses’   

Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Location- Begbroke Church

Begbroke Church

Begbroke Church is the perfect location for the attack in our opening sequence. The house located next to the church and is going to be the exterior shot, to establish where the couple live. The graveyard has ironic and appropriate connotations of death. 

Advantages
·         House and church located next to each other
·         Located in same village as two members of the team so logistics is easy
·         Provides a lot of corners for our attacker to hide
·         Both the house and church have a rural, hidden and isolated setting
·         Naturally beautiful and homely feel to the scenery

Disadvantages
·         Uncontrollable factors like weather can provide visual problems
·         Located near an airport so planes may fly above
·         Considering the public (especially in a graveyard)



Thursday, 15 March 2012

Location- Water Eaton

Water Eaton Park and Ride:

For the scene in which the audience discovers how truly creepy the attacker is (in which he is revealing his shrine to all those he has killed.) We chose the interior location of the abandoned factory at water Eaton park and ride.

Advantages :
·         Car parking space
·         Good establishing shot
·         A lot of space to use
·         A lot of floors to work with
·         Scary scenery

Disadvantages:
·         Technically illegal to trespass
·         Health and safety is at a risk
·         Limited lighting
·         No power source

Wednesday, 14 March 2012

Last Day Filming Review


This was our last day to film and we managed to complete everything set out to film. The aim was to set out and film the attack.

Environment
As good of a location Bebgroke church was, we didn’t take into consideration environmental factors. The fact we we’re filming in a graveyard meant the public came to pay their visits.

Location
Begbroke is located near Kidlington airport which is something not realised when scouting the location. This of course distributed our filming greatly however with completing all the footage needed to be filmed there was no need to go back.


Friday, 9 March 2012

CAMERA MOVEMENT #1


Point of View

A point of view shot is where the lens of the camera acts as the eyes of the character. This creates a shaky but effective quality. This creates a personal connection between the character and audience. Channel 4’s Peep Show is famous for shooting their entire episodes of 7 seasons all from a point of view, of the two main characters, mark and Jeremy.  This choice in camera movement is what made the comedy so successful and gave it an identity. When this took to the states, producers decided to ignore this choice and use typical shots, movements and angles. Giving it extremely low ratings in which it didn’t develop into any series.   

Friday, 2 March 2012

Third Day Review

Filming Review

On the 2nd March we revisited Water Eaton to complete that location of filming. On this filming day we would build a the shrine and film the attacker putting up the photo of the characters. This scene is a vital to our production as it reveals how truly sadistic cupid is.

Follow Up’s
Following up legal issues presented last time filming have been taken into consideration. Although we were unable to get any legal passing we can do our best to not get caught or at least be a presentable to if we had to talk to the police. This was done by wearing high visibility jackets. Although this attracted attention it gave us a legitimate appearance which stopped the police from being called in the first place.

Continuity
Mistakes like breaking the chalk while drawing the tally created a continuity problem as it was difficult to rub off the walls to re-draw with out seeing the smudges.

Set
Building the set was a chance for us to use our creative skills. We used such props like photos, candles, his mask and gloves. Materials like chalk and spray paint. Once again we relied on natural light and candles to light our scene however this only enhanced our footage rather then hindered it by giving it an eerie edge.

Sunday, 19 February 2012

CAMERA SHOTS #2



Extreme Close Up

An extreme close up contains a lot of detail with the subject and absolutely no back ground. Commonly used for facial features to express emotion. Having a shot so close to a face can be use to emphasis how uncomfortable a situation may be as it is an intimate shot. Famous extreme close ups would be two cowboys in a shoot off, in which the camera would focus on such facial features as the mouth or eyes.

Sunday, 12 February 2012

CAMERA SHOTS #1


Close Up

A close up will focus on the subject in the foreground, and not have much in the background. It will take up the whole frame in order to draw attention to the item or feature. In films and television this shot can be used as to not give too much physical details away from the character but give far more clues about the characteristics of said person. It can also be an important plot reference. This is demonstrated in Harry potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when Lucius Malfoy secretly places the diary in a cauldron. There is a close up shot of him doing so. As the audience we are aware of both diary’s but later on have better understanding of the importance for one of them. For the audience sake, this shot was later referred back to reflect back previous action.

Saturday, 4 February 2012

First Day Film Review

Film Review

Today was our first day shooting, and overall it was a success. The aim was to shoot the start of the film. This consisted of the preparation of the coffee and writing in the card. Then filming the conversation in which we are planning of cut in-between the attack.

Timing
It took approximately 3 hours to finally get round to filming around 40% of our work. Such problems like running out of battery and waiting for it to charge again took considerable time out of our afternoon.

Dialogue
Although we had a script on set, having actors speak is always something can be quite tricky. Thankfully as we we’re shooting multiple shots rather than one long scene, it didn’t disrupt the filming to much.   

Sunday, 22 January 2012

Costume - black gloves

Black Leather Gloves

As well as a practical advantage, gloves will be a key part of the costume of the attacker. As we hope, most of the scenes will be a Point of View Shot. This will allow the audience to only see the hands of the attacker. For this black leather gloves would be perfect. We are trying to hide as much physical features as we can with the gloves but reveal much more about his character.

Saturday, 21 January 2012

Costume - Baby Face Mask

For our attacker, he’ll be wearing a mask. To make a link between the titles ‘Cupid,’ it will be a baby face mask. Completely hiding the face creates fear in the victim as it hard to see what the attacker’s thinking which only adds to the fear that anything could happen Clever editing, limited visuals and a mask enables for the audience never to see the attacker which will play on their imagination. This can have a stronger effect than any expensive software.

< 1. Although number one is the most realistic, it may be too realistic. The facial expression is one that is screaming. This wouldn’t be appropriate for the attacker as he needs to have more of a sinister edge.  However number one does keep within the reference of the title more than the others.>
       2. The second mask has an old style to it. The grin is perfect in the sense, like the ‘Alice, Sweet Alice mask’, “the attacker is content with what they’re doing. Due to this, a sense of no-way-out arises as the attacker physiological deranged.”

<3. This mask seeps with stories and tales because of the ancient quality. Visually, this mask is the scariest.

     
  4. Although this again has a sense of realism, it can   be seen as rather comical which would highlight our attacker’s physiological issues.>




Depending on weather we want to go with realism, creepy, scary or comical will determine which mask we choose to look for.

Friday, 20 January 2012

Masks

Deciding on the possibility of our murderer wearing a mask, I must look at over films in which this was their thought process too.
       <1. The Scarecrow (Dark Night of the Scarecrow)

          2.  Leatherface (Texas     Chainsaw Massacre Series)>        
       <3. Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th Series)
      4. Jigsaw Pig Mask (Saw)>
     <5. Michael Myers (Halloween)
       6. Satan (Satan’s Little Helper)>

      <7. The Strangers (The Strangers)
      8. Scream Killers (Scream)>

       <9.  Torso’s Masked Killer (Torso)
     10. Mrs. Tredoni (Alice, Sweet Alice)>  



Having watched over films with masked killers, Mrs. Tredoni in Alice, Sweet Alice is one to take main inspiration from.  The Innocent and not typically scary face gives a physiological twist. On the mask is a fixed smile, this gives a sense that the attacker is content with what they’re doing. Due to this, a sense of no-way-out arises as the attacker physiological deranged. As Alice, Sweet Alice was made in the 70’s, the masked used, was not seen as old fashioned. However having a vintage or worn away mask creates a background story for the killer.   

Wednesday, 18 January 2012

Film Genres

I chose a group of 50 people to pick their favorite film genre. Out of the 14 main genres, half didn’t get any votes. These included: adventure, historical, disaster, animated, science/fiction, action, and romance.   

Comedy: 8
Drama: 5
Crime: 4
Horror: 13
Musical: 6
Rom/Com: 4
Thriller: 10
Having looked at the results, horror and thriller were the top results. Looking further into this I asked the question “why is horror and thriller your favorite to watch” to those who chose it. Some answered with because they like to be scared. But mostly it was due to the fact a horror film can be watched unanimously in a group of friends. It is a genre in which both sexes roughly can enjoy.

Monday, 16 January 2012

Fresh Meat

Fresh Meat

Not too long ago, the channel 4 sitcom, Fresh Meat finished its first series. However not without bagging a second series due to popular demand from the audience. The show is set at Manchester Medlock University and focuses on the six fresher students (exception of Howard) living in assigned accommodation and the painful truths of being a student. The show focuses on their farcical events, whether it’s drugs, sex, alcohol, money, education, politics and even death. Yes Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain managed to write a script containing all of these typical topics, yet coating them in a contemporary and even witty spin. At the beginning of the show relationships and friendships instantly are formed.
Vod
(Short violet) Vod concentrates on the social lifestyle of university with a result of almost being kicked out of her course. She is incredible independent and strong minded with a unique style and humor. Her thick skin allows her relationship with the other s to differ from normal. In particular Oregon. The subtle bullying and peer pressure gives her the opportunity to feel empowered. This is particular shown in episode five. Otherwise known as student riots. Their friendship is threatened when she finds out about Oregon’s chosen relationship with professor Shale’s. She takes it personally that Oregon has told the affair and therefore ‘persuades’ her to break if off. Overall Vod is a compulsive, aggressive, intimidating, but she is however, streetwise, individual and entertaining.

JP
JP is a private school boy whose higher education took a turn as his lazy and immature attitude terminated his plans of a Cambridge or oxford university life. He considers himself the commander of the household from a result of his money. The link between money and power isn’t discouraged from the others along as their getting something out of it. Despite this, he shows a genuine side in episode six when id father is a victim of fatal heart attack. The choice of actor to play JP is standup comedian and now actor, Jack Whitehall.  Having non actors play roles can be risky and potentially damaging to their other chosen career. However the character was a perfect combination of his acting ability and celebrity status.       


                                                  Kingsley
After years caring for his sick mum in their Essex council flat, Kingsley is excited to be meet and hang around with friends, Kingsley’s ready to embrace life, love, sex and experience. When it comes to the above, he finds it hard to admit his true feelings. As for that Kingsley never seems to be in the right place at the right time.

Oregon
Secretly really named Melissa. Is anxious to appear cool and in doing so adapts her life in order to feel accepted by others. This is shown throughout the series as she consistently lies about her lifestyle, whether it’s wealth, background or even name. This is her way of reinventing herself as she’s terrified of being boring. Imitating Vod is the perfect excuse for her to abandon her middle class upbringing. Yet this comes at the cost of Vod intimidating her into constantly ‘helping’ her out, with education and personal matters.

Howard
How long to determine the length of Howard stay is hard to recognize. He is most defiantly social inept but seems to be content with his niche and quirky lifestyle. Ending the series by defending and standing up for his friends makes him the most lovable character of all.

Josie
Moving from Wales gave Josie the chance to start a fresh and meet new people. She is anxious to embrace student life. Her carful mind puts a strain on her friendships with the others.

Friday, 6 January 2012

Pixar

Pixar Website

Pixar is an animation film studio based in California. In their 27 years of production they have made 12 feature films that on average have got 3.6 Oscar nominations each, and 9 wins. Their value has exceeded in the past 20 years as Steve Jobs paid $5 million for Pixar in 1986. Disney paid $7.6 billion for it in 2006.

Pixar gave birth to a completely new and different media of filming and technology. Animation had been done in the past but nothing compared to the computer graphics and software that was first displayed in Toy Story, 1995.  This developed over the years as, computers used in the 2006 Pixar movie Cars were 1,000 times faster than those used for Toy Story eleven years before.

The characters in Pixar films are ones like no other. Each film usually contains a vast amount of different characters, that each plays a vital role in creating the memorable and loveable films, which all ages can appreciate and recognise. What’s different about the characters as such is that they very rarely are humans. In the 12 feature films Pixar have created only 2 films are based around humans (and super humans).They mainly focus of different types of characters, whether it’s machines, animals, toys, bugs or even monsters!   

The dedication in creating every feature film is astonishing. In every feature film, nothing is already created. The animation team builds every single pixel on our screens. In the hit movie Monsters’ Inc, Sulley's fur had over 2,320,413 hairs to be constructed.

"We had to make things look more organic. Every leaf and blade of grass had to be created. We had to give the world a sense of history. So the doors are banged up, the floors have scuffs."John Lasseter

Outtakes:
A Bug's Life
Toy Story
Monsters Inc

Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Modern Family - Editing



Cross cutting is cutting back and forth between two or more events or actions that are taking place at the same time but in different places. Cross-cutting is used to build suspense or to show how different pieces of the action are related. Modern Family uses this technique often when the illustrating a story being told by the character that is being ‘interviewed’. This gives the audience a visual on the tale that's being backed up by dialogue.

 Close up is a shot showing a detail, like only the face or hands. Whereas a cutaway is a cut away from the primary subject to something the filmmaker has decided is equally or more relevant at that time. Often cutaways consist of shots showing the reaction of one character to another. This is often used to compress time in what appears to be a seamless manner. This again is another technique which is usually created to emphasis the emotion from the character that helps to build up a documentary experience.

Camera shots are part of the subject matter that is viewed and filmed by the camera. In this particular clip, there is a juxtaposition if different camera shots. This is show when footage is shown through a mobile phone and then flickers between the staged camera shots that look as if they’ve been shot from a distance. This looks as if the director has collected different footage to construct the scene.    

A transition is an easy way for one shot changes to the next. Usually created through layering of images. To add to the effect of a documentary, Modern Family don’t actually use such editing skills as it would detract from the raw camera shots and angles that assist to the production of modern family.      

Modern Family is an American television comedy series, which follows a family and records their antics. Although a scripted show, is made to look like a documentary. This is a style called ‘mocumentary’ where the fictional characters talk directly into the camera during many situations that arise throughout the series. This is created through Editing that is the process of rearranging, adding and/ or removing sections of video clips. This is all part of the post production.   

Thursday, 17 November 2011

A Clockwork Orange

In a community where gang raping, robberies and murders happened nightly, lies a charismatic delinquent and anti hero, Alex DeLarge. A sociopath, teenager who’s sees the society to please his sexual, cynical, and frightening desires. The name ‘DeLarge’ allows the character to adapt himself as ‘Alexander the large’. This references ‘Alexander the Great’, which feeds his egotistical mind as well as creating a witty sexual pun.
To help create the concept of the film and the character of Alex, is his 136 minutes of narration. Within this Alex takes us on his world of the near future, of consistent orgies and attacks performed by him, and his friends. Otherwise known as, “a bit of the Ultra-violence” with the ‘Droogs’.  The film beings with the droogs sitting in their beloved social hangout, drinking milk-druged cocktails, named ‘milk-plus’. This is to hype themselves up for the commencing night.

The name ‘Clockwork Orange’ is completely appropriate for the deeper metaphorical meaning of the story. It touches on Pavlovian laws on conditioning. This is displayed in one particular famous scene in which, Alex is a victim of government criminal conditioning. He is drugged and shown disturbing images of his past lifestyle. As result, Alex becomes the ‘perfect’ citizen’ but at the cost of his free will. This raises many questions like, how should society control the ‘evil’ in us, with typical confinement or techniques like positive conditioning? The title allows us to understand that although Alex is completely organic being, on the outside, he is an otherwise known inside as a mechanical structure. 

Alex is a horrific and complicated character. Nerveless, intelligent and quick witted with sophisticated taste in music. He is particularly fond of Beethoven or “Lovely Ludwig Van”. Alex never justifies his actions and although as unlikable he may be, manages to create pity from the audience. This is because we hear from first hand experience his unending suffering and through his realization that his life is a vicious cycle that can not be altered.

LINKS
Trailer...