Storyboard

These pictures are of our storyboard that we have created which will later on be put into an animatic to show each individual shot in detail. The images are displayed in the sequence that they will be shown in the final film clip so that it can be ‘pre-visualized’ as a motion picture. It also means that we can see how the scenes run together and make sure that the events that happen are in the right order and have the right angles and special effects to them.

Script

We plan not to have very much dialogue in our film as we don’t want to detract from the scary storyline or the tense atmosphere. We feel that by having dialogue at the beginning it will give the audience enough information about the characters and their back story. It will also mean that we can keep the characters separated throughout the rest of the film so that the audience feels that they are more vulnerable and alone.

We want the music to be the most prominent sound in our film as we believe that the audience is usually most affected by this aspect in a horror film and this is what causes them to become frightened and become uneasy.

           

The Attack

Girl number 2: “Where are your parents?”

Girl number 1: “They're away for the weekend, so girly night in.” 

[The two girls then walk to the sitting room and turn on the TV.]

(TV has fuzz to show light in their face without having copyright issues of playing a different film in our film)

Girl number 1: “I swear I just saw something at the window, it might be next door checking on me. One second.”

Girl number 2: “Okay, see you in a minute.”

[Scary music starts playing as girl 1 walks out of the sitting room]

[Villain is at window, watching the girl 2.]

[Girl 1 goes outside]

[Heavy breathing by heard by villain in bushes]

[Scene cuts to girl 2 who is in the sitting room.]

[Girl 2 goes upstairs to see were the noise is coming from]

News report

Police man: “This is the hardest case I've ever been on, the man has never been sighted. The only way we know who he is, is by his signature bloody hand down the window of the house he has attacked.”

Changes to news report

We have decided not to have the news report at the end of our film anymore as we have decided to have newspaper clippings at the beginning instead. This is because we think that it will look a lot more effective and the audience will understand what is happening sooner. Therefore we have chosen to have the villain walking away into the darkness instead at the end.

Camera Shots and Editing

Our film is going to be shot in the evening so the mood is spookier and the villains face will be covered by the darkness which will mean he is more mysterious. Shooting the film in the evening will also make it more realistic for the girls to be having a movie night rather than in the middle of the day.

These are the camera shots that we have selected to use in our film:

Establishing shot- This shot is usually used at the beginning of a scene to show the audience where the scene is taking place usually shown with a wide shot.
Mid shot- This shot shows the object closer to the camera so the audience can see the object in more detail but still feel that they are looking at the object as a whole.
Over the shoulder- This shot is when the camera is behind the persons shoulder showing the object that they are looking at.
Zooming in shot- This is when the camera slowly or quickly zooms into the subject it is focusing on.

Close up shot- This is when the object fills most of the frame and is shown in detail so the audience can see certain features or part of the object.

Extreme close up shot- This shot will fill the whole frame and show the object in great detail.

Low angle shot- This shows the object from below as the camera is looking up at it.

These are the editing techniques that we have selected to use in our film:

Scary music starts to play

Loud breathing can be heard by the audience

Music has a sharp tone to it

Loud piercing scream is heard from upstairs whilst on black screen

The opening title 'Signature' appears on the screen

Screen fades to black.

Interview with Actor Three

Jasmine Bann

B: Hello.

J: Hi.

B: What is your favourite genre of horror film?

J: Probably real life horror with twists so it’s not predictable otherwise its boring

B: How many horror films have you watched in the last 6 months?

J: Five

B: What is your favourite setting for a horror film?

J: An everyday setting so that way its believable

B: Have you had any acting experience before?

J: I have been in a few school plays when I was younger but that’s all the acting experience I have had

B: Why do you think you’re suitable for this part?

J: I feel that I fit the stereotype of the girl real well

B: Are there any specific things you feel your character should do in the horror film?

J: I think that you shouldn’t make it obvious that I am the victim as it makes it less predictable and more interesting for the audience

B: Okay thank you

Choice for our Film Institution

Ghost House Pictures

The institution we have chosen for our film is called ‘Ghost House Pictures’ it was established in 2002 by Sam Raimi, also the founder of Renaissance Pictures, and Robert Tapert who try to produce high concept horror films. Many of their films are produced and distributed by Mandate Pictures. This institution seems to have a reputation for successful horror films which would help our horror film. They have produced films such as the Grudge 2, Rise and 30 Days of Night. Therefore we will be making our film similar to these films as just like ‘Ghost House Pictures’ we want it to be successful and professional.

Opening Scene Treatment

Possible tag lines: When you least expect it, Ready or not, Hope to die first, When time runs out; there's no where to run, You'll hope to die, He's watching you.
The writng in blue is the shots that we intend to use.

Girl 1- Tara
Girl 2- Amy

(The first scenes in out film include some dialogue although the music is very prominent.)

[Establishing shot of the house] Starts with two girls in a house, alone. [Mid shot of two characters] Character number 2 says "Where are you parents?" Which girl number 1 replies with "They're away for the weekend, so girly night in." The two girls then walk to the sitting room to watch some TV. [Mid shot as they walk into the other room] (TV has fuzz to show light in their face without having copyright issues of playing a different film in our film.) [Shot from behind the sofa] Girl number 1: "I swear I just saw something at the window, it might be next door checking on me. One second." Girl number 2 replies: "Okay see you in a minute." [Scary music starts playing as she walks out of the sitting room]
[Zooming in shot to the window] Walks past a window where she sees a face in the dark which is not recognizable [Bad guy is at window, watching the girls.] Thinks she is seeing things, so goes to the door to investigate. [High angle shot][Cuts to match on action] as she opens the door and walks outside. [Canted angle tracking shot/ tracking shot] her walking towards a bush. Perspective cuts to bad guy in the bush, with an [over the shoulder shot], and loud breathing that can only be heard to the audience along with the music. [Side angle shot] As she looks around, something quick flashes across the screen and music suddenly has a very sharp edge to it.

[Behind the sofa shot] Scene then cuts to girl number 2 who is still in the sitting room. As girl is watching scary film, [Close up shot] of bad guy's feet can be seen going up the stairs quietly, with no sign of girl number 1. [Mid shot] All of a sudden girl number 2 hears a creak coming from the stairs [Extreme close up shot of her ear], so goes to investigate and sees the door open [Long shot], so goes outside and calls her friends name. She does not see her friend so she decides to go upstairs thinking the creak she heard was her friend. [Low angle shot] to see her walking up the stairs, then turning left. Goes completely silent, and a loud piercing scream can be heard. Shot cuts to a bloody hand going down the window. Black screen title fades in, then out.

News report is then seen which describes a serial killer that has struck again, but police have no leads in their investigation and he is still on the look out. Police quote "hardest case ever been on, man has never even been sighted, but is known by his signature bloody hand down the window of the house that he has attacked." Scene fades to black.

Why we have chosen our shots 
 

The first shot we have chosen for our film is an establishing shot of the house which will look effective as it is our first opening shot it will shows the audience the location in which the film is set and demonstrates the girl’s scary surroundings.

The next shot we have chosen to use is a mid shot of the girls talking, we feel that this is best suited to this scene as we want the audience to feel they are getting to know the characters and feel included in the conversation as they are at eye level with them.

We have chosen the shot behind the sofa as it gives the audience a chance to be in the girls position and see what they see, this will also cause them to put them in there position later on.

The zooming in shot causes the audience to focus purely on the window and means they are watching and waiting for something to happen. This will then build the tension and cause the audience to feel scared as they know something is outside.

The over the shoulder shot from the villain is effective as it shows what he is seeing and how vulnerable and alone the girl looks outside. This will make the audience feel for the victim and worry what the villain may do.

The close up shot of the villain’s feet going up the stairs tells the audience something that the characters in the film don’t know which would scare the audience as they worry that without this information the victims will be in danger.

The low angle shot that we have chosen to use at the end of this scene shows the victim going up the stairs which would make the audience worry about the girl and wonder what will happen next as they know the villain is upstairs.

Opening Titles

Saw

The simplicity of this opening credit is striking as it is so plain but it’s effective. The Loins Gate institution has a memorable title as its block letters stand tall and look eye catching.  The background is completely black which makes the blue writing stand out. The use of capital letters makes the font look bold and simple.

We could use this technique as we want our opening titles to be memerable and distinctive. 

Psycho (1960)

The writing in the opening credits of this film is in big white letters. This is striking against the black background and draws the audience’s attention to it. The lines across the screen appear between each set of credits; this breaks the writing up and gives the audience time to think about it.

Psycho (1998)

The opening titles of the 1998 film of ‘Psycho’ are very similar to the old version of the film as it starts with the lines, in colour as technology has developed, going across the screen and leading the writing onto the screen. This causes the screen to go from very busy and eye catching to plain and simple. However the emptiness of the screen when the writing is seen makes the audience want to see what it says as it draws attention to it.

The words are in bold white writing and are in capital letters, this makes it stand out against the black background similarly to the first version of ‘Psycho’, although this writing seems to be smaller. When the writing has been on the screen for a while it goes off by the word splitting into two parts just like the original version of the film. This movement makes the audience look as they want to see what is moving.

We could use this when making our film as the simplicity is so effective and the lines are very unusual. The splitting of the writing is a good way of exiting it from the screen.

30 Days of Night

These opening titles seem very dark and mysterious as they fade on and out of the screen. The small but bold white writing stands out clearly as it appears onto the screen. The simplicity of the opening credits causes the audience to concentrate clearly on the words that appear and build the tension. The name of the film, ’30 Days of Night’, comes up white on the screen but then changes to red as it fades away. As it is a black background the audience automatically thinks of dark and gruesome things as it looks so dangerous and mysterious.

We could use this technique in our film as we want our title and production company to be remembered by the audience. I also feel that the red writing is very effective for a horror film as it could cause the audience to associate it with blood and fear. This may because the colour red has connotations of danger.

 

Possible Location 8

We are considering using this location as a horror film setting. These two pictures emphasise the darkness. The first one shows light falling on a window in the middle of dense undergrowth. Since the window is so dark and dirty it is impossible to tell whether there might be somebody behind the glass, looking out. The audience could imagine that, since this is such a scary and deserted building, anyone that lives in it would be strange and unusual. In the second picture the branches of the tree are dimly lit. They create unusual shapes and the audience could imagine that they were arms reaching out towards the victim. This location is characteristic of a horror film as they often feature dark woods to create atmosphere. Woods can hide a number of different things which the victim would be unaware of due to the denseness of the trees. Small, subtle sounds such as wind in the branches and cracking twigs add to the atmosphere.   

Possible Location 7

These steps have a deserted unkempt look about them and are lit by a strange shade of light. Like a road, they lead the eye towards the darkness at the end but, having the railings each side, the perspective is even more emphasised. The blackness at the top of the steps contrasts sharply with the strange light below. The shadows on the steps and on the side wall give the impression that somebody may be hiding and casting their shadow. Again, this location would provide an ideal setting for a horror film.

Possible Location 6

These two photos both feature unusual lights in the blackness of night. The first light, being red, has associations to horror and the ivy reaching out towards it from a high wall gives it a supernatural feel, almost as if the ivy has human qualities and maybe trying to catch hold of an unsuspecting passer by. The second picture features a light alone which is striking by unusual mix of colours. It is difficult for the human eye to make out what is coming towards it out of the darkness. The audience can tell that the light is coming towards them but because it is so dark they don’t know what it is and automatically fear the unknown. This is a possible location for our film.

Possible Location 5

These two pictures are possible locations for our horror film. The pictures of a building at night have a strangely deserted feel. The light in a single window makes you wonder if there is just one person in the house, possibly trapped, particularly since it is a high window. The total darkness around emphasises the lit window. In the top picture the unusual turret and the bare branches add to the effect.    

Possible Location 4

This is a location which we are considering for use in the clip of a horror film which we are planning to produce. Theses two pictures of a road are both atmospheric and appear scary in different ways. In both cases the narrowing road leads the eye towards the end. However, in the first picture the furthest point is lit by a reddish light which could cause the audience to associate it with blood and horror. It could possibly be a burning building or the entrance to something which the audience may fear. The overhanging trees frame the pillars and you are hemmed in by the wall on the other side. In the second picture by contrast the narrowing road ends in total darkness. This makes the audience scared in a different way. We have a natural fear of the unknown and of darkness and deserted areas. Since the person looking up the road is in a pool of light they would be very obvious to somebody or something hiding in the shadows. Again the wall hems us in leaving no opportunity for escape.

Soundtrack Research

I feel that one of the most important parts of a horror film is the music; this is because it increases the tension and adds to the fear factor. For example in Alfred Hitchcock’s film ‘Psycho’ the shower scene would be not nearly as scary if there was not the sound of high pitched violins implying the strokes of a knife. Most horror films have an ‘auditory symbol’ which makes the audience relate a piece of music to a certain film or particular villains.

This piece of music is called ‘Serpentine Treck’. The repetitive tune could be seen as alarming to the audience as it may cause them  to worry and  be concerned for the victims. The music almost  seems as if it has got stuck in a groove and causes tension as you wait for it to change: you expect the action to move on when the music changes. The quiet drum in the background could also suggest death as it is similar to the sound of a drum as someone is led to the gallows. This piece could be used when we are leading up to the villain’s first attack as it is repetitive which will give the scene a good, steady beat.

This piece of music is called ‘Redletter’ which suggests death and blood. The sounds which are heard in this tune are a lot quieter which makes the loud instruments all the scarier. The quietness may make the audience anxious as they feel something dramatic may suddenly happen when they are not expecting it. The music has a background beat which, although not obvious, has the effect of a heart beat and could make the audience tense.

The next tune is called ‘private reflection’ and seems a lot different from the other pieces of music as it is eerier and slow. The title suggests that it is reminiscent of the past as someone could be reflecting upon their private memories. This music is more quietly beautiful but, like some of the others, it is very repetative as if someone is frozen in a moment of time.  We could use this piece of music in the scene when the victim has been killed as it is sad and reinforces the idea of death.

This piece of music has been titled ‘One of them’ and sounds very dramatic. The strong drum beat in the back ground could suggest footsteps or even someone’s heart beat. This could cause the audience's heart beat to quicken and may make them feel frightened as they can tell the victim is becoming scared.

This piece of music is called ‘Interloper’. It is quite quiet and slow as the drum beat plays continuously in the background. I feel that it would not be seen as a scary piece of music but could be used when building the tension as it’s quite unpredictable and keeps changing the beat. We could use this piece for the lead up to something dramatic as it may cause the audience to be put on the edge of their seats.

This tune is titled ‘epic unease’ and at the beginning, seems to suggest time passing by as the quiet noise in the background sounds like a clock. The instruments used then get stronger and more pronounced and dramatic which could evoke the feeling to the audience that the villain was becoming stronger and gaining power. We could use this in our film when the villain is approaching the victim and is about to act.

This piece is called ‘constancy part 2’. The overlying section in this piece seems almost up beat but it is the background which makes it sound more ominous and urgent. The repetitive sound of the violin could make the audience feel apprehensive about what is yet to come and worry about the victim. Towards the end we hear a sound like a clock striking: this is a stategy often used in films to indicate that time is up.  We could use this piece when the victim is shown on the screen as it would suggest to the audience that they are in danger.

This piece of music is called 'house of leaves' and is very effective at building tension and fear. The high pitched sound could be a stringed instrument which is very prominent throughout the piece. This sound gets louder and more instruments are introduced. This could make the audience feel terror as the noise is so overpowering. It is also very effective because the gental piano notes in the background provide contrast to emphasise the wail of the louder music. We could use this piece of music when the villain in our film is about to attack his first victim.

Dead Tone Analysis

Initial Ideas

Copy of Initial Ideas on Prezi

Questionnaire

Questionnaire

Horror film market research

Please circle relevantly

1.  What is your Gender?

Male              female

2.  How old are you?

14-20            21- 30           31-40             Other (please specify) 

How many times have you been to the cinema in the last 6 months?

0       1-5       6-10    11-15    Other (please specify) 

         

3.  How many horror films have you watched in the last 6 months?

0       1-5       6-10    11-15    Other (please specify)

4.  What is your favourite type of horror film?

   Supernatural – e.g zombies, demons

   Torture- e.g saw

   Natural- e.g jaws (when nature attracts)

   Real life- e.g The strangers (people breaking into your house)

5.  What is your favourite horror film at the moment?

----    .................................................................................

6.     

7.  Do you go to the cinema to watch these films? Why?

  Yes           No

  .................................................................................

8.  What do you think is the best location for a horror film? Please state if other.

·   Woods

·   Town

·   House

·   Other……………………………………   

For the next 2 questions, please rate them on a scale of 1-5.

9.   How badly are you affected by them on a scale of 1 to 5? a lot.

1             2            3             4             5 

1. Do you think the music plays an important part in the build-up of tension? 

 1             2            3             4             5

Results

Our survey consisted of asking 10 people (all different ages and different genders)
5 out of 10 people were male and 5 out of 10 people were female
7 people we asked were in the bracket of 14-20 and 2 people were in the bracket of 21-30 and 1 was in the bracket 31-40.

8 people answered question 3 with 1-5 times of going to the cinema in the past 6 months and 2 answered none.
6 people answered question 4 with 1-5 and 4 people answered 6-10 horror films which shows us that the majority of people in our survey haven't watched many horror films in the last 6 months.
6 people answered question 5 with supernatural and 4 people answered with real life horror films.  
We recieved a range of different horror films for question 6: Creep, The Shining, The Happening, Paranormal Activity 3 (Chosen 3 times), The Sixth Sense (Chosen twice), The Strangers, SAW.
3 out of 10 people went to the cinema to watch their chosen film, which suggests people don't like going to the cinema to see horror films.
8 people answered the best location for the horror film as woods and 2 people answered with a house.  
Out of the people surveyed the most common numbers were 4 and 5, this is because people watch horror films to be affected by them and if they didnt get affected they wouldnt like the horror film.
10 out of 10 people answered the last question with the number 5 because they feel that the music greatly affects the tention and build up of the film.

Possible Actors/ Actresses

 

Name: Alex Munro

Age: 17

Favourite genre of film: Comedy

Favourite horror film: The Strangers

This actor may be a good choice for our villain in our film, firstly because he is male and we feel that the part that we are trying to portray is best suited to a male character and because he is quite tall which would look effective in our film as we want the audience to relate to the victim in our film who will be scared of him. I feel that if we dress this actor in a suitable costume his performance could be very convincing to the audience.

 

Name: Amie Bretherick

Age: 17

Favourite genre of film: Romance/Comedy

Favourite horror film: Paranormal Activity

This actress may be suitable for one of our main victims as she is quite small and could be made to look innocent and naive. I think that she looks quite natural and it would be a believable scenario for her to be at home alone. We could also make this character look vulnerable and scared which would influence the audience.

Name: Jasmine Bann

Age: 17

Favourite genre of film: Horror/Comedy

Favourite horror film: Shrooms

This actress may be a good choice for our film as she has dyed her hair very blonde and has pale skin which would show her innocence and purity. She also comes across as being a nice person which would make the audience like her and feel for her. Another benefit of using this character is that she doesn't need much make up which would make it simple when filming.

Possible Location 3

This picture of a derelict ferry initially gives the impression of sadness and emptiness. The audience may have the feeling of something that was very impressive and has become nothing more than a wreck. However when you look more closely at the picture you notice the darkness of the blank windows and of the tunnels under the quay. With the right atmosphere set by music you might begin to wonder what might be hiding in these dark empty areas. The expanse of water makes it seem like an isolated spot where there would not be many people around. This adds to the desolate effect.

Possible Location 2

This picture above is a possible setting for our horror film as it looks dark and mysterious. The area around this location is very woody and secluded so would make an effective place to film a horror film.

The pathway looks like it never ends as you can’t see the light at the end of it. This is like a tunnel as there is no way out and it would be very dark.

It reminds you of the saying that ‘there is no light at the end of the tunnel.’

Location 1 and location 2 have similarities in that they both have a road which is leading you towards an unknown and unseen area but the top picture is much lighter and has more of an ethereal supernatural feel whilst the lower one gives a impression of darkness and fear of unpleasant things hiding in the shadows.

Possible Location 1

This picture has an air of mystery about it as we can’t see what is hidden by the mist in the distance. The road leads us towards the unknown and we can’t tell what we might find at the end of it. Mist can be cold and damp and give us the same feelings on our skin as the coldness and clamminess of fear. It also has associations with the supernatural and with frightening situations.