Blog : Preparing to film

                                                                    Filming Aspects

 1. Actors

One of the first things that we had to think about when we finally decided on our story line was who we needed to 'recruit' to play out these parts. Choosing actors is a difficult process because actors are what bring the entire story to life and can make-or-break a movie. Our story line follows teenagers, which makes it a lot easier for us as we can ask some friends to help us. Currently we have decided that the four of us in the group (Amaya, Aleena, Sofia, and I) will definitely be acting the main roles. The fact that we are all friends to begin with will make it more realistic and believable when we play a close-knit friend group on camera. The rest of the actor choices are not yet finalized. 

2. Costumes

The costumes in our film we decided should match with our plot. The main part of the opening is the group of teenagers having a sleep over, so we decided on matching pajama sets. It is also set in this time period, so the clothes and accessories will correlate with some fashion trends of today. The narrator will be wearing a black glove in the other scenes to add suspense and mystery. 

3. Props

Props are a very important part to any film because they help develop the story and make it easier to understand. Props can also add another level of depth by including symbolism by using specific props in stories. We include a few props including a burning letter, and polaroids, but the most important one is the deck of cards. The deck of cards symbolize death, help foreshadow what will happen and show the roles of the characters in the game. In our title sequence they spell of the word "MAFIA". The cards being upside down and in a dim lit room also add to the suspense and symbolize that there is a secret and mystery that no one knows. 

4. Locations

Location is an important thing to consider because it can really pull a whole story together and add a sense of realism and believability. Throughout our whole film opening we only have two locations: the sleepover house and the backyard with pool. The majority of the opening will be at the sleepover house as that is where the game is played, the polaroids are taken, and almost the whole title sequence is filmed. The pool and backyard is the second location where the first death will occur. It is only a small scene and will go by quickly. 

5. Dates and times

We found deciding when to film was very difficult because of winter break. Many of us had vacations that took place at contradicting times. This made filming over winter break simply impossible. Therefore, we decided on the second and third weeks of January. This works out for us because we will have just come back from break and have no big exams to study for. Therefore, we will have additional time to work on the filming. The time for filming the inside "sleepover house" part is not an issue as we can close curtains to make the room dark. The outside pool part though, will need to be filmed at a later time to capture the ominous and mysterious vibe. Thankfully, during this time of year the sun sets around 5:30 pm, making it easier for us. 

6. Film equipment 

We will use a variety of equipment when filming. This will depend on the specific scene and actor speaking. For the bigger scenes we plan to reach out to SHORTCUTS TV to borrow some professional equipment such as Steadicams, shotgun microphones, and lavalier microphones. For the underwater scene we plan to use Sofia's GOPRO and an iPhone for some smaller shots. We decided that we would reach out to get professional equipment because we all agreed that the last thing any of us wanted was for our film opening to look cheap and made by a kid. 

 

            Blog : Storyboarding Our Project

                                                                    STORYBOARD

                                                    THE STORYBOARDING PROCESS

 To begin we worked on a script on a shared word document. This took more time than I expected because every time we wrote something down, one of us would get an even better idea. This better idea we would then agree on, and we would have to restart. In addition to the dialogue, this script explained the opening, stage directions, the different camera movements and angles. We then divided this script into 4 different parts; one for each of us to sketch.

                                                                   HOW IT FLOWS 

Sofia sketched -  First two pages. From the beginning of the film opening to the doctor opening their eyes

Samantha (Me) sketched - Next three pages. From the doctor opening their eyes to Aleena winning the mafia game.

Aleena sketched-  Next two pages. From the reaction of winning the Mafia game to Samantha beginning to swim.

Amaya sketched-  The last two pages. From Samantha's death through the title sequence

                                                  ASPECTS OF OUR STORYBOARD

Throughout the film we made sure to include many different aspects such as a variety of camera angles, movements (such as pan and tilt), and shots. We wanted it to be professional and look sophisticated. We did not want it to be obviously made "by a kid". 

We included a majority of close of shots though because we wanted to emphasize each of the character's emotions. The close-up shots allow us to capture the exact mental state of the character and also allows us to have control over how the audience perceives each character. We decided that it would be a good idea to use the facial expressions as a type of foreshadowing to what is going to happen to each of these characters. 

We also used a rack focus for the "candles" scene. This is a stylistic choice we decided on because it creates suspense and shows a shift of focus in the scene. It shows that now control belongs to the person lighting the candle. The rack focus also makes the film look "cleaner" and more professional. 

We also plan on using some cool transitions such as a fade after the character dies. This will be used to not only add another stylistic element, but also to create a level of suspense.

Blog : Final Project Mood Board

 

            Blog : Final Project Mood Board

                                                  MY MOOD BOARD

                                                "MAFIA"

What am I trying to capture in this mood board?
In this mood board I am trying to capture an ominous ambiance, full of eerie horror vibes.

General Aesthetic- The general aesthetic is horror/thriller with suspense. These pictures, (especially the dark outdoor nighttime photos) all represent, and are meant to convey, this unsteady feeling.

Settings- You can see an empty hallway, a tall skyscraper-like building, and a sleepover-house. These are where the main scenes will be taking place and where the deaths will happen. The sleepover house will be the main area, as that is where it all began when they played "mafia". This house will also be the setting to many of the "flashbacks" throughout the film opening. The graveyard is to symbolize death and the fatal outcome of this otherwise fun night.

People- Here you can see teenage- aged kids hanging out, laughing, and playing common games together. This shows the innocence before the tragedy that will occur later in the film. 

Costumes- You can see that the costumes of the teenagers are simply just normal 'teenage-clothes'. This is also meant to show the realism and innocence of this group.

Others - You can also see a sign saying "sorry" written in blood, a bloodshot eye, and pill bottles. These all symbolize the themes, general aesthetic, and horror/thriller/suspense aspect.

 

                Blog : Final Project Idea

What is your final project idea? 
We decided to go with the "Mafia Game" idea.  A group of teenagers are playing the game mafia, and the narrator will choose themselves to be the narrator and as they describe how in what way the teens playing the game, are going to die. The deaths described in the game "mafia" end up coming true, and they die like that in real life.

What genre will the project be?
Our final project will be in the Horror/thriller movie genre. 
 How will your project fit the conventions of your genre? 
One way that our project will fit into the conventions of the horror/thriller movie genre is in terms of the lighting. It will be lowkey - the purpose of lowkey lighting is to create suspense, and fear in the audience.

How will it be different?
While our horror film will fit into some of the conventions of the horror/thriller genre, our project will differ slightly.  Horror movies commonly include suspenseful music playing in the background. We will not have it playing in the background, in fact there will be no music in the background at all. We decided to do this so that it seems more realistic. As if they are actually playing the mafia game with the characters (in real life there is no music). Another common aspect of the horror genre that we will NOT be including is a supernatural aspect. Our project will have no supernatural/magical aspects to it, but rather a more realistic aspect. (Mental illness explanation). We chose to do this because honestly, filming supernatural scenes is really difficult, and we felt like it would be more interesting if it was not supernatural. For the filming we will have a static/stable camera most of the time as opposed to a a handheld one that is usually used in this genre.

Blog : Title Sequence Research

             Blog : Title Sequence Research

A movie title sequence is the opening of a film. A good title sequence sets the tone of the film, introduces the overall theme, and often times names some of the main cast and crew. It is usually creative, as it has the important job of grabbing the audience's attention. It needs to captivate the audience effectively, or else they will get bored. This includes the visuals, music, camera movement, shots, and the dialogue that is chosen to go into the title sequence.

Title sequences are made by first creating a storyboard, which is a visual plan for a piece of film. Then the music, font, and other decisions have to be made and picked out. It is then edited, and special effects are usually added depending on the genre and film that it is opening.

                   Halloween

Halloween (2018) is a film about Michael Myers getting loose after being in a Psychiatric hospital for 40 years due to his previous killing spree. The movie continues following Micheal Myers killing more people. 

This title sequence starts with a black screen, with just the word "HALLOWEEN" smacked in the middle in Bright Orange. Then the next scenes depict a smashed pumpkin "growing" or "inflating" back to its normal shape and size. (Basically implying that Micheal Myers is coming back.) As the pumpkin "inflates' names of cast and crew appear on the right of the screen in Orange letters Infront of a Black background. As the sequence goes on, the pumpkin slowly gets closer to the screen and in the last scene only one eye and the nose of the pumpkin is visible. It ends with a black screen and the name of the director, again in Orange. Behind the pumpkin there is a slight orange glow that intensifies and then dies down by the last scene. The music is ominous from the every beginning and adds a layer of suspense and it makes you feel as if you are starting a classic horror film. 

This title sequence was made this way because the original movie's title sequence was also a jac-o-lantern, but here it symbolizes a 'return'. It was made using practical effects by Greenhaus GFX.

                  Anne with an E (2017)

Anne with an E (2017) is a TV adaptation to the classic L.M. Montgomery book (ANNE OF GREENGABLES) about an orphan girl on Prince Edward Island in 1890. It tells the story from when she is just a young girl, all the way up until she is a young lady. 

The Title sequence is full of captivating images that have so much detail- it makes u want to watch it over and over again just to look at it all. It starts off depicting a cold, wintry landscape and images of a girl who seems to be lonely and confused. The sequence gradually moves to warmer hues with the hummingbirds, yellow dresses and bright leaves. It transitions into landscapes and birds, covered in gold tones everywhere. The ending scenes are of branches inscribed with various phrases, and the girl. The very final scene is a branch with an inscribed name of "AnnE". The full sequence all roots back to nature, the natural world, and shows Anne's connection to it. As this background sequence is playing, names of the cast and crew are also being displayed. The music is a rendition of "Ahead by a Century". This creates a contemporary and connecting feeling. 

This title scene was very detailed in its making. The images of Anne, played by Amybeth McNulty, were all delicately painted by Brad Kunkle. The gold leaf was a leaf covered in gold foiling. There were also some digital elements to some of the picture to create that 3-D look. Overall this Title sequence required a lot of varied work and elements.

             Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is considered a classic holiday film made in 1964. This film tells the story of Rudolph, Santa's main Reindeer, and how he became the famous Reindeer with a glowing nose. 

The sequence starts with a snowman listing out the names of Santa's Reindeer. He speaks in a calming tone as his voice drifts out into a song towards the end. The sequence continues with shots of cartoon trees, gifts, and other holiday items, which also display credits of cast and crew. The background is full of Christmas colors such as green, red, and white as snow flurries magically float down. The music is upbeat to the tune of the famous "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" theme song. The sequence calmly tracks/swoops to the right to display these different items.

Because this particular movie is stop motion Claymation, the production team had to set up these frames and create these sets by hand. The characters are all made and they had to decide on how each the Mis-en-scene would be set up in each particular frame. For the Snowman part of this title sequence, the crew had to move him just one little bit at a time to create the full sequence.

Blog : Brainstorming

                Blog  : Brainstorming

Welcome back to my blog! Today I will talk about some of our brainstorming ideas for out project!

                                                      Romance 

If we decide on Romance genre for our film, we brainstormed this idea:

                                    " Double Take"

    This high school girl, who recently had a glow up over the summer comes back for her senior year of high school in the fall. She is finally over the boy she has liked for years and is planning on focusing on her difficult school schedule filled with AP's and college applications. But the boy that has liked her for years, has a glow up, and the boy who she has known since elementary, has shown an interest in her recently. She starts thinking about him in a way she hasn't before. 

The movie intro would include scenes of her talking to each boy and some camera shots of her writing how she feels in her diary. There would also be a background narration from the perspective of the main girl. 

The good thing about a Romance film set in high school is that it relates to what our peers enjoy watching. Romances are usually heartfelt and overall fun to watch. The con of Romance movies is that they tend to be unrealistic to life.

                                                  Horror

 If we decide on the horror genre for our film, we brainstormed this idea:

                                                "Mafia Game"

A group of high school friends are playing the game "mafia" at a hangout. Over the next few weeks, what was said comes true. Once the friends' figure this out, they work to try and change the outcomes.

The movie intro scene starts at a friend's giving with high school kids, where they decide to play the game "mafia". One character decides to be the narrator, who describes how the people chosen to kill by the mafia die. This would be followed with some fast, flashing shots implying the fatal situation. It would be paired with fast and eerie music and scary background narration (from the person who speaks about how they will die).

The good things about a horror movie is that it is entertaining and fun to film. The cons about a horror movie is that it could be hard to film scenes such as death scenes.