Wednesday, 7 May 2014

Genre Research

Thriller 

A thriller film is likely to involve suspense and anticipation and its aim is to have audience on the edge of their seats. The characters are usually faced with a problem. A thriller will always emphasise the danger a character faces. The danger progresses throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax. 

Friday, 2 May 2014

Evaluation Question 7

Evaluation Question 6

Evaluation Question 5

Evaluation Q5




Evaluation Question 3

Evaluation Question 3

Evaluation Question 4

Evaluation Question 4

Evaluation Question 2


Make your own mind maps with Mindomo.

Evaluation Question1

Evaluation Question 1






Evaluation Question 2- How Does 'Social Attack' Represent Different Social Groups?


Mind Map made  with Mindomo.







This is an example of the long shot that is used to represent the foreboding affect that the female character has on the audience.








This is the normality that is represented through the age of the character. This part of the opening is when the character is having a conversation to his mum about her going out. This shows that this is very normal to happen in today's society.







This is the bedroom paraphernalia that we used to set the scene of the boys bedroom. This room was set out to be very normal and look as though that he is not the type of person not to be talking to somebody they don't know online.




Evaluation Question 3








 
 
For this question i used a Google Doc to present my work.
 

Evaluation Question 4

For this Question i used Tumlr to create different media:






Evaluation Question 5


Evaluation Question 6

Evaluation Q6

Evaluation Question 7

Thursday, 1 May 2014

Film Distributor- Optimum Releasing




We chose Optimum Releasing as the distributor of our film, because it is an independent film distributor and our film is independently made. We thought of what distributor we wanted to use early on in the planning so then we could identify the potential markets for our film and which would be the most important when releasing the film and reaching out to the target audience.


The diagram above shows the process of ditribution, from the producer to the distributer (in our case optimum releasing) to the theatre that then sells the film onto the customers who pay to watch it. The money from





Thursday, 24 April 2014

Treatment for Full Film

Treatment for Full Film


Title
Social Attack
Duration
1Hour 45mins
Audience
The rating for our film will be a 15. This is because it fits the requirements and standards that the BBFC specify for films. This is because there can be strong violence that would have to be incorporated due to the storyline and genre of the film meaning that the images we show can be more explicit. However there will be no major focusing on pain or injury due to the requirements of a 15 rated film. Other existing films of the same genre have the same age rating at it is almost an expectation and convention of horror films that the content is more explicit meaning therefore that the recommended age rating is higher.
Distributor
Brain Damage Films-
During my research to find the suitable distributor for the film i found many varieties with positives and negatives to each. I felt that  'Brain Damage films worked perfectly. I felt this because there aim if to distribute low budget independent horror productions and this is just what our film is going to be based on.
Summary of Story
Josh Peters is at home babysitting his younger brother Joe whilst his parents are out for a work party. Whilst chatting online with his friends, he receives a friend request from an unknown user. Attracted by the profile picture, he accepts the request immediately. Throughout the evening he receives many strange messages from the girl, which he jokes about with his friends until the messages become stranger and more serious and he realises that this person is watching his every move. Soon it becomes clear that the person is actually in his house and that they are intent on kidnapping Joe.
Suggested Elements
There are suggested elements of cyberbullying and the impact of social media in our film.

Treatment for Full Film

Treatment for Full Film


Title
Social Attack
Duration
1Hour 45mins
Audience
The rating for our film will be a 15. This is because it fits the requirements and standards that the BBFC specify for films. This is because there can be strong violence that would have to be incorporated due to the storyline and genre of the film meaning that the images we show can be more explicit. However there will be no major focusing on pain or injury due to the requirements of a 15 rated film. Other existing films of the same genre have the same age rating at it is almost an expectation and convention of horror films that the content is more explicit meaning therefore that the recommended age rating is higher.
Distributor
Brain Damage Films-
During my research to find the suitable distributor for the film i found many varieties with positives and negatives to each. I felt that  'Brain Damage films worked perfectly. I felt this because there aim if to distribute low budget independent horror productions and this is just what our film is going to be based on.
Summary of Story
Josh Peters is at home babysitting his younger brother Joe whilst his parents are out for a work party. Whilst chatting online with his friends, he receives a friend request from an unknown user. Attracted by the profile picture, he accepts the request immediately. Throughout the evening he receives many strange messages from the girl, which he jokes about with his friends until the messages become stranger and more serious and he realises that this person is watching his every move. Soon it becomes clear that the person is actually in his house and that they are intent on kidnapping Joe.
Suggested Elements
There are suggested elements of cyberbullying and the impact of social media in our film.

Treatment for Two Minute Film

Treatment for Two Minute Film


Title
Social Attack
Duration
Two Minutes
Audience
The rating for our film will be a 15. This is because it fits the requirements and standards that the BBFC specify for films. This is because there can be strong violence that would have to be incorporated due to the storyline and genre of the film meaning that the images we show can be more explicit. However there will be no major focusing on pain or injury due to the requirements of a 15 rated film. Other existing films of the same genre have the same age rating at it is almost an expectation and convention of horror films that the content is more explicit meaning therefore that the recommended age rating is higher.
Distributor
Brain Damage Films
Summary of Story
Josh Peters is at home babysitting his younger brother Joe whilst his parents are out for a work party. Whilst chatting online with his friends, he receives a friend request from an unknown user. Attracted by the profile picture, he accepts the request immediately. Throughout the evening he receives many strange messages from the girl, which he jokes about with his friends until the messages become stranger and more serious and he realises that this person is watching his every move. Soon it becomes clear that the person is actually in his house and that they are intent on kidnapping Joe.
Suggested Elements
There are suggested elements of cyberbullying and the impact of social media in our film.

Possible Distributor of my Media Film


Midnight Releasing


Maxim Media International is the largest word-wide distributor of independent horror films. Maxim Media International was established in 2000 in America. It has 2 subsidiary companies: Brain Damage Films and Midnight Releasing.

After carrying out some research, I thought that  out of the two subsidiaries, Midnight releasing would be more suitable as this although still a large company, it is smaller than Brain Damage and so would give us a better change of accepting to distribute it for us.

I also thought it would be a suitable distributor for our film as it's speciality in horror films would help us to target or intended audience more efficiently.  As well as targeting our intended audience, it could potentially attract more people because of that fact that it is based in America.

This is one of the films that Midnight Releasing are currently distributing:

Wednesday, 23 April 2014

Tricky Shots

We used many difficult shots whilst filming these included the wipe and the extreme close up to fade then the close up to a long shot.

In my opinion the wipe was the most difficult shot to film as we had to wait for each bus to pass, making sure that the traffic was the same, the bus did not stop and that it was the same type of bus. We then had to repeat this process just filming the bus going pass without the character at the other side of the road. This was difficult to perform.

This shot was also difficult to edit together to show continuity and to make sure that jump cuts were not used. Overall, the shot was a success.








 Whilst editing we used filters throughout the whole film to create a dark and mysterious tone and feel to the overall view. This would have made the whole experience for the audience much better.

We also used fade transitions during most of the film to help the continuous fast paced, non linear storyline.


The next difficult shot of the extreme close up to fade then the close up to a long shot. We used this technique to show as though the character was almost walking out of the camera. This was hard to edit more than film as we shot a few seconds of his jacket close to the camera and then the same from behind. Again, this was a harder task to edit to make sure that there were no jump cuts used and to shoe continuity.


Overall, throughout the film we used many editing and filming techniques.


Friday, 4 April 2014

Results to the Opening 2 Minutes

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgwWwItNKgxDdDFzSnJBbk9WVTFGWEJkNDhXY1lkYVE&usp=drive_web#gid=0 

Questionnaire In Reply to Opening

Distributors Of Our Film

Dog Woof Website

Dogwoof are and Independent Film cCompany who could distribute our film. They produce independent films and have a niche market that may be interested in the film product we have to offer. 


They have distributed other psychological thrillers such as 'blackfish' and our film may be of interest to them as it is of a similar style to the films they currently produce. They use smaller scale directors and offer space o purchase films on DVD through their website. This could be a potential further source of income for our film as we could gain a secondary audience through dogwoof's regular audience. Below is the link to their current main thriller feature film, Blackfish. 

Blackfish

A mainstream film company who could produce our film are Warner Brothers. This film distribution company are owned by Time Warner and create mainstream films on a large scale. This distribution company could offer us large scale promotion and advertisement meaning that we would have a guaranteed audience. However, our film may not be of the scale and quality that this company's audience expect. Mainstream films stereotypically have special effects and cutting edge techniques that we cannot recreate or replicate. A strong storyline and strong acting can be offered however advanced editing techniques and effects are too out of budget. 




Warner Brothers

I think dogwoof would be a more suitable distribution company as we can offer and meet the needs and expectations of this company and their audience. Dogwoof can also provide us with a niche audience who enjoy independent films. Through using this company we could also gain different audiences for future films.   

15 Minute Evaluation of a Similar Film.

Analysis of IT

Whilst planning before we came up with our storyline we researched into many different areas of horror films. This gave us many ideas and inspiration.
Iconography

Iconography is the interpretation of visual images, icons and symbols. The character of the clown is the main character. Clowns are typically seen as happy, friendly and jolly but in the film they are seen as dangerous, scary and usually the 'killer' character played. This is effective because it makes the horror film seem more realistic as clowns are normally part of everyday life for a child e.g at a circus. the children are seen as venerable especially in this film IT. There is a young girl and she is targeted by the clown. The fact that she is a young child symbolises her vulnerability and lack of knowledge.  As one of the first scenes in the films is showing the clown under a grate taunting the girl this shows that something sinister is going to happen.

Sound

During the opening sequence of the film there are sound effects of a screech as 'Stephen King' is transistioned onto the screen using a ripple. This adds an eerie tone to the opening and makes the audience apprehend the rest of the film. Background music is then playing, the music is a symphony of an orchestra gradually getting more up tempo and a higher pitch. As the film goes on the music fades out and the narrative then comes on. As this is going on there are sound effects used such as thunder lighting and rain. There is then children giggling and clown laughs used. As the first fifteen minutes come to an end there is another sound effect used of a knife slashing, a phone ringing and a book slamming shut. Also, the background music fades in again after the narrative and is more eerie and more uptempo. 


 Mise-en-scene

The costumes use in the film are important as they distinguish characters. The Killer clown wears a clown costume and clown make up so that the audience can easily recognise his character. There are often flashes of the clown and the colours used in the costume are bright and noticeable so we feel nervous whenever we see them as we associate them with the killer. The other characters in the film such as the mum and daughter are represented as a normal working class family just wearing everyday clothing. This is then the same with the office staff. The only abnormality is the clown. This is what makes the audience feel weird about the whole film. 

The location of the first scenes is in a neighbourhood and the parents of the child who was taken garden. This is effective as it will scare the audience more as dramatic incidents are happening in a setting that they are familiar with. This makes the film more realistic as the audience relate this back to themselves and image it happening to their neighbourhood.  

The lighting used is dull as the scene has been filmed in a rainy thundery weather. This is stereotypical to the horror genre as they usually feature dark lighting and white artificial light as it creates a sense of mystery as the audience may not see everything that happens. 


One prop that is used is the tricycle that the girl is riding whilst on the way home. The fact that it is a tricycle shows how young and vulnerable she actually is. This also links in with the doll that she is holding. This symbolises the child's innocence and ignorance to what is about to happen as she is just playing and doesn't realize that the clown is dangerous.
 
Cinematography

A high angled shot is used at the beginning showing the sky and lightening striking, this is effective it is a warning and it represents killers in horror movies as they can strike at any time. Establishing shots are used in the opening to set the scene. One establishing shot introduces a character who is a little girl. High angle shots are often used to show the girl and this emphasises that she is vulnerable and weak which suggest something may happen to her. It can also represent somebody looking down at the girl. Close up shots are also used to show the girl and her reactions to seeing the clown, this helps us understand her feeling and the situation better. A close up is also used to show the clowns face and this suggest that both characters have caught each others attention. Another high angled shot is used at the beginning when the tricycle falls over, this is from the mothers point of view as the screams get more high pitched. 


Editing
The first piece of editing is the transitions in the opening sequence. there is a a ripple and a fade used. Editing is used effectively when the girl see's the clown for the first time. The washing is blowing on a line blocking the view and you hear a the clown's laugh but you don't see it. This makes the audience think that the girl may be imagining as the clown disappears and re-appears. This will also make the audience question the reality of the situation. There is also a fade used to pass a time of change

Friday, 28 March 2014

Josh's Mum Character Profile

Josh's Mum



Age: 40

Gender: Female

Occupation: Secretary

Appearance: Redhaired, Slim, Average Height.

Character Traits: Caring, Protective, Smart, Succesful.

Function in Narrative: Josh's Mum is a minor character in the film. She'll be going out with her friends from work and will leave Josh home alone. The only scene she is present in, is when she is leaving to go out. She is shown early on in the film to display sense of normality that will then contrast with the danger and mystery surrounding 'The Killer'.

Thursday, 13 March 2014

Location Research

Josh's Bedroom

This location is one of the actor's own bedrooms. This means that it will have a realistic setting as it is true to a real adolescent. Due to the confined area of space it may be difficult to create the accurate shots that we want whilst keeping the steadiness of the camera, in order to get good shot quality. 

The Street
The street has a vast wide space for us to film in. Weather conditions may become problematic here as rain and sun can effect the images we will get on the camera. To add to this road traffic may be dangerous when filming, as we will be filming in the centre of the road. we should use quiet times of day in order to have minimum traffic. 

Living Room





Outside of the house 


This is the outside of the house that we will be using. As we are filming in winter it will be more likely to have a eerie setting due to lighting. This image is taken in summer and doesn't have the same looming connotations.







Friday, 7 March 2014

The Killer Character Profile

  The Killer 



Age: 20

Gender: Female

Occupation: Unemployed 

Appearance: Blonde, Unkempt.

Character Traits: Mysterious, Lack in Personality, Dull, Quiet

Function in Narrative: 'The Killer' is the main character in the plot and she is messaging 'Josh' on Facebook telling him that she can see him and what she is doing. However, during the first two minutes you can only see her getting closer to the house and being more friendly towards Josh. They never physically meet. They don't have any verbal communication with the other characters in the plot line to create a sense of power and mystery about them. 


Filming Photos








Here are some of the photos from when we were filming.