This is our project's Behind-the-Scenes. I (Kenneth) did this.
Director: Max, Shannon
Cast: Max, Kenneth, Bams
Production company: Regents Media Production
Editor: Kenneth
Mise-en-Scene manager: Max, Bams
Monday, November 11, 2024
Filming Schedule
This is the filming schedule for our project. We did this together.
We changed plans because 2 of our members cannot make it, and so we changed the shooting date to 20 January, where we will go there after school together to shoot.
Reflection: Initially we plan to shoot everything on this one location on Saturday. But the likeliness of getting everything done in just one day is doubtful, so if we need an extra day to shoot or retake some more scenes, Monday after school would be a good time.
Location Scout + Risk Assessment
This is the Location Scout and Risk Assessment for our project. Max and Shannon did these.
We struggled to find an appropriate location that delivers the mood we're trying to achieve in our film intro. But fortunately, after some more research and discussions, we decided to go to the place where I and my previous team went for shooting the ad project last term. Taman Festival Bali has the spooky abandoned buildings and massive forest, which should work great for our project.
Screen Test
This is the screen test for my group's film intro project.
This is the screen test. We did this as a class. We all participated to say a line from various genres.
Most people did not take the test very seriously, while some other are mostly too shy or nervous to act in front of the camera. I personally think it's a good start. Next time, I will probably ask them to do the test in private so they won't get distracted.
Screenplay
This is my group's screenplay for this term's project.
Scene 1
Actors: Max, Bams, Kenneth
Characters:
Max as Max
Bams as Greg
Kenneth as Kenneth
Killer:
[In the forest, fire crackling. Shot cuts to inside the tent. 2 Teenage boys and 1 girl playing an ouija board.]
Kenneth: I'm hungry, I'm gonna get a snack real quick
[Kenneth gets up and goes to the car to grab a snack, potato chips]
[killer kills Kenneth]
Max: its been like 10 minutes, where is he?
[Bams gets up to go look for Kenneth, sees snack on the ground, Kenneth nowhere to be seen]
Bams: what the-
[Max's scream can be heard from the distance, cuts to black and title]
(if need extra scene)
[scene cuts to intense music, atmosphere, shaky camera, dim lighting, and running, max/bams hiding from killer from behind the pillar]
Max: (heavy breaths, POV shot with shaky camera and flashlight.)
[killer suddenly grabs Max from behind, camera falls to the ground facing to the right of them, allowing just a limited distance for the killer to be seen dragging max]
Max: yells are muffled with cloth on mouth
This screenplay helps us evaluate all the props we will need to prepare before the day of shooting. This also provides with a better visualisation on our plans for this film intro.
Storyboard
This is the storyboard for our team's project: horror film 2-minute intro. Shannon did the storyboard.
Below is the rough sketch of the plans for our storyboard. It was then redrawn with more details added as we had some more ideas and changes. As an example, we initially planned to shoot in a forest and have the story be about camping. However due to difficulties finding a location that we wanted, we decided to shoot at an abandoned place, instead. This new place is much closer to our homes and can still deliver the uneasy atmosphere that we were looking for.
Rough sketch:
This first process was important because we needed to put our ideas on paper and this rough storyboard helped guide us create the more in-depth storyboard below.
Detailed sketch:
We put in too much time making the first 4 shots, so we decided to simply the drawings slightly for the later shots.
After some discussion with the group, we decided to make scene 6 a little longer and add another scene before the title screen, so shot 7a was later added.
This storyboard helps us plan things more effectively and have a clear guidance when doing the shooting.
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Friday, October 4, 2024
Research: Genre
This is my genre research.
A Quiet Place (2018)
What conventions does it conform to?
This movie follows typical horror conventions, like the constant chilling and tense atmosphere with little amount of dialogue, giving out a feeling of danger throughout the movie.
What conventions does it subvert?
This movie doesn't rely on loud jump scares or eerie music to scare its audience. Instead, it is filled with a lot of silence to put the audience deeper into the characters' shoes.
What representations are there? (people/places/events)
The movie represents a family struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. The places are desolate and portrays isolation.
What technical elements are used to give meaning to the representations?
The little sound and near-complete silence are used to create a tense atmosphere and brings the audience closer to the characters in the movie.
Close-up shots of facial expressions help convey emotion and fear without words or sound, making silence a powerful storytelling device.
Get Out (2017)
What conventions does it conform to?
This movie slowly builds-up tension as the story progresses which can be seen in a lot of other horror movies.
What conventions does it subvert?
This movie subverts typical horror conventions by focusing more on racial and social tension rather than supernatural forces, giving a horror twist to everyday interactions.
What representations are there? (people/places/events)
The film represents the African American experience through the main character, who faces racism disguised as politeness. The setting is a quiet, upper-class suburban home, which is the main background focus throughout most of the movie.
What technical elements are used to give meaning to the representations?
Close-up shots are used to show the main character's powerlessness and psychological aspect, with dark lighting and muted colors to build tension. The soundtrack is unsettling and minimal.
Below are the 8 other films that I analysed more broadly, with interesting elements that I might incorporate into my film.
Hereditary (2018)
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
The target audience is mainly older teens and adults aged 16 to 40, especially the ones who love and appreciate psychological horror. It appeals with its unsettling atmosphere, immense grief, and suspense.
What would you like to use in your opening from this?
The slow yet eerie tension and long shots to build up the unsettling mood of the movie.
What would you like to avoid in your opening from this?
The intense, slightly overused gore in some scenes which might be distracting and too much within a movie.
The Conjuring (2013)
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
Older teens and young adults who love supernatural horror are this movie's target audience. It appeals with its more realistic storytelling compared to some other supernatural horror movies.
What would you like to use in your opening from this?
The period setting and suspense build-up before terrifying events helps bring authenticity into the story.
What would you like to avoid in your opening from this?
Overly relying on jump scares to bring suspense into the movie can feel predictable and even repetitive.
It Follows (2014)
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
More mature teens who enjoy indie horror movies. It appeals due to its fresher concept, which an inescapable supernatural entity.
What would you like to use in your opening from this?
The constant pacing and sense of being continuously followed, creating immense suspense throughout the movie.
What would you like to avoid in your opening from this?
The ambiguity around the main villainous creature might frustrate viewers who seek a clear resolution.
Midsommar (2019)
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
Appeals to younger adults who enjoy more psychological storytelling. It appeals by subverting the typical horror by scaring in daylight throughout the movie.
What would you like to use in your opening from this?
Its unique setting choices, like its unsettlingly bright contrast.
What would you like to avoid in your opening from this?
The very slow opening pace might frustrate some audience who prefer darker grittier movie openings.
The Babadook (2014)
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
More mature audiences aged 17 to 40 who are interested in traumatic psychological horror with immense grief and emotional themes.
What would you like to use in your opening from this?
The use of a metaphorical monster to represent internal struggles, creating a more unique experience for the audience.
What would you like to avoid in your opening from this?
The psychological themes shown in the movie might be too heavy and complex for some audiences.
Sinister (2012)
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
Mature teens and young adults who love found-footage supernatural horror. Its appeal comes from its combination of horror with elements of investigation.
What would you like to use in your opening from this?
Found footage elements add a more realistic touch to the movie's horror theme.
What would you like to avoid in your opening from this?
Over-the-top violence might disturb and overwhelm some audiences.
The Witch (2015)
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
More mature audiences who enjoy horror with 1600s historical settings.
What would you like to use in your opening from this?
Historical settings can add to the realism of the movie.
What would you like to avoid in your opening from this?
Slow pacing might backfire for a horror intro when suspense should generally be introduced early on.
Don’t Breathe (2016)
Target audience, and how are they appealed to?
Mature teens and young adults who love home-invasion themes as well as high tension. The appeal is the claustrophobic house setting and mix elements of thriller and horror.
What would you like to use in your opening from this?
Confined spaces increases tension and anxiety which can help add suspense to the movie scene.
What would you like to avoid in your opening from this?
Explicit and graphic violence can shock, disturb, and even overwhelm some audiences.
This video taught me how to improve my opening scene ideas
Research: Audience
This is my research on different types of audiences and the target audience for my team's film intro.
Research: Industry
This is my research on industry based on the genre I chose.
What genre am I working on?
The genre my team is working on is horror.
Do I want my music video to be niche or mainstream?
We plan to make a cinematic independent film with lower budget.
What company would most likely produce my media text in the real world?
Blumhouse Productions as we plan on creating a found-footage style film intro.
Self-Reflection: Blumhouse Productions produce a lot of amazing found-footage horror movies with some that subvert the horror genre and some that conform to it. As my team found interest in creating found-footage horror, I think Blumhouse Productions would be the most likely to produce such a movie.
Weekly Progress + Plan
Week 1
This week, we were introduced to our next project, which is making a 2-minute movie intro. My team decided to pick mystery/horror noir.
What we did?
Nothing much, just picking the genre for our new project.
Problems
My previous team decided to split and go on our on ways.
Solutions
I moved to a new team.
Week 2
This week, we began researching movie intros for the genre we picked: horror.
What we did?
Nothing much, just picking the genre for our new project.
Problems
I'm not that familiar with horror because it's a genre that I don't really like.
Solutions
I watched a few horror movie intros to better understand this genre.
Week 3
We talked about media consolidation and vertical & horizontal integration.
What we did?
We learned that media consolidation means less people controlling shares of the mass media.
Problems
I had problems remembering the new terms I learned, and its definitions.
Solutions
I watched a few youtube channels to better understand the terms and expand my knowledge of the media world.
Week 4
We assigned roles for each other.
What we did?
We picked the roles and tasks that best suit each one of us.
Problems
I'm not that familiar with horror because it's a genre that I don't really like.
Solutions
I watched a few horror movie intros to better understand this genre.
Week 5
We began storyboarding and making a few scripts.
What we did?
Nothing much, just picking the genre for our new project.
Problems
I'm not that familiar with horror because it's a genre that I don't really like.
Solutions
I watched a few horror movie intros to better understand this genre.
Week 6
We began completing tasks like storyboard, research, and some classwork for us to better grasp the idea of our project.
What we did?
Completed tasks like storyboard and classwork.
Problems
I'm a bit behind due to being busy with other subjects.
Solutions
I'm trying my best to complete my remaining tasks ASAP.
Reflection:
practice
Week 1
We did some shooting practice to recreate a scene from a horror movie. We also learned about New Media and technological convergence.
What we did?
Movie scene recreation and learned more theories.
Problems
Shooting practice went slightly awkward due to little hands-on acting experience.
Solutions
We went on with the shooting and in the end it went well.
Week 2
We learned some more theories, like Cultivation theory, desensitisation theory, social learning theory, reception theory, etc. We also did an editing practice.
What we did?
Learned more theories, and editing practice.
Problems
Shooting practice went slightly awkward due to little hands-on acting experience.
Solutions
We went on with the shooting and in the end it went well.
Week 3
We learned representation and gender theories. We also finished a lot of the filming, and I will start to edit.
What we did?
Learned theories and did most of filming.
Problems
The weather got windy and rained heavily as we filmed, which might ruin a bit of continuity.
Solutions
We will reshoot some scenes later.
Week 4
We had the first 3 days of the week free, so we didn't learn anything this week. I made further progress on editing.
What we did?
Made further editing progress.
Problems
I'm still behind in lots of the editing process, so I need to catch up quickly.
Solutions
I'll have to make more progress quicker.
Week 5
This week we had a long holiday, but I still continued my editing progress.
What we did?
Further progress on video editing.
Problems
Long holiday means I can't meet my teacher to ask for advice face-to-face.
Solutions
I'll have to keep making progress so when the holiday ends, I'll have a good enough work to show.
Week 6
We learned theories and continued our progress on the movie intro project.
What we did?
More theories to learn for upcoming test next week.
Problems
Next week there will be a lot of tests to prepare for, so I'll need to study for all of them. Hence, I'll have less time to continue with my project.
Solutions
I need to make time for my project despite all the tests next week.
Week 7
This week we had media exam.
What we did?
Media exam and all four CCRs.
Problems
Lots of exams this week, so it's gonna be hard to finish the CCRs.
Solutions
Need to study and make the most of my time.
Week 8
This week we had another media exam. On Thursday, our teacher had to be absent, but we continued doing our project in class.
What we did?
Another media exam and still completing project.
Problems
Lots of exams this week, just like last week.
Solutions
Need to make the most of my time for the most progress.
Week 9
This week we had our third and final media exam. I worked even harder on the editing part to catch up with schedule, since the deadline is next week.
What we did?
Third media exam, and more editing.
Problems
I still need to pick a good animation for the main title. And deadline is near.
Solutions
Got to work harder and quicker.
Week 10
Deadline week! I had to rush to make a blood-dripping version of the main title.
What we did?
Quickly completed the whole project and all the CCRs which has to all be done by Wednesday.
Problems
Deadline is so close and there are still a few other exams of other subjects, so I really had to make the most out of my time.
Solutions
I had to stay up late for a couple days to finish all my tasks while also prepare for exams of other subjects.
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