Research and Planning: Animation StoryBoard

This is the storyboard that me and Louise have created for our film teaser trailer, this is not set in stone however, most of the shots will happen to the characters. Unfortunately we have not come up with the name of a distribution company yet, and we have not come up with a title either although we have had different ideas e.g. 'Mind Games', 'Forgotten' and 'Possession Within'.

Research and Planning: Treatment

When we was creating the animated storyboard, me and Louise went through how our teaser trailer would go. 

However, this isn't set in stone and it could change in the future.

• The MPAA image will be shown first for about four seconds. 
• Next the Studio name will appear which will be called Static Pictures and with this there will be an animation with this, which will be the showing of a TV and the noise of static. 
• Next there will be a Distribution company logo shown called Paranormal Studios.
• Then the first sequences will take place starting with an extreme close up of red eyes, while this is going on the soundtrack will be playing in the background building tension.
• The next shot will be a close up of a face focused on how contorted the expression is.
• As it is a horror trailer it is obviously going to be a bit disjointed, the next image shown will be what started the disruption - the ouija board, and the soundtrack will make a sudden stop - creating tension. 
• The next images shown will be fast paced editing and the mise-en-scene will be shown at this point, the soundtrack has now stopped and there is going to be dialogue shown from the five friends and we will see them holding a handheld camera and running away for their lives. This will be shown with tracking shots so it's unsteady and shows the fear to the viewers. 
• There will then be close ups of each of the characters individually in different situations, the soundtrack will be played again building up, but there will be use of dialogue as well. 
• Here the location will be shown more - various different places. 
• The next shot will be unsteady showing one female characters falling over and the possessed character grabbing hold of their leg and dragging them away. 
• Then the sequence will change again fast paced and it will be an overhead shot of a male character with a severed arm and they will be dead. 
• The next shot will be one of the male characters with the handheld camera and a female running away together and there will be heavy breathing and the sound of heavy footfall. 
• The next shot will be of the female lead we just saw tied up on a chair bound with ropes and the camera will be static here showing the area of the small space in which she's trapped and we will here whimpering and sobs. 
• Then we will see the shot of the female who was dragged off about to be killed shown with high/low angles to show who is inferior/superior. 
• Then it will show fast images of all the characters one by one before they are captured and then different types of screams will be over heard in the background. 
• The final three shots will consist of the friends all sat around the campfire at the beginning with a birds eye view/crane shot showing how close they all are. 
• The next shot will be a long shot of them all arriving and having casual banter with each other. Dialogue will be heard and they will be laughing and joking waiting for the night to begin. 
• The last and final shot will be a long one and the possessed character will be walking towards the handheld camera with a feral snarl on it's face. It will then crouch down and it will go to a medium shot and then the viewer will see the possessed character lunge towards the camera. 
• Over this subtitles will be heard of the release date and a 'Coming Soon' voice. 

Research and Planning: Garage Band Sound Test

Today we went on Garage Band and had a play around with sound to make for our teaser trailer, I used the cathedral organ and the piano in a high pitch tone, as I was going for something that would make the audience cringe. Unfortunately all I got to add was the pieces of music. However, over that I had other ideas to add dialogue of the friends talking, speech of one or two friends begging for help down the phone and then the sound of them begin cut off - isolation. My final piece of sound that I wanted too add would be a voice over of the title and the words 'Coming Soon To A Cinema Near You'.

Research and Planning Proposal/Group Meeting Two

Plot Idea One:

• One of our plot ideas is about a group of friends who go on a camping trip and take part in using supernatural elements - Ouija Board. 
• Things take a turn for the worst when one of the friends becomes possessed, and terrorises the rest of the group. 

Cinematography One:

• One of the main shots we're looking at is an extreme close up of the person's eyes who gets possessed.
• And then it would zoom out to a close up of the features of the face contorted. 
• we would also need a bird's eye view shot of the group of friends sat around in a circle beginning the night's events - also showing the bonds between them in the beginning. 
• Two shots will be used as well to show friends being broken apart and to show how ties are wearing thin. 

Editing One:

• Jump cuts to show the peak of the teaser trailer. 
• Straight cuts will be used to show continuity.

Sound One:

• A building soundtrack that creates tension, then it will suddenly stop, when the eyes ares shown.
• Dialogue of speech used over the top of soundtrack so the audience notices when the music stops.

Mise-en-scene Two:

• Make up will be a main prop to turn the possessed person into someone terrifying.
• Maybe contact lenses could be used to turn the eyes red.
• The location will be important - a forest.
• Ouija Board.

Plot Two:

• Our other plot idea is similar to plot idea one however there would be no supernatural elements and there would be a friend who goes on a killing spree for reasons that are identified with psychoanalysis.

Cinematography Two:

• High/Low angles to show who is inferior/superior.
• Bird's eye view used once again to show friendship.
• Long shots to show them running away from their friend (killer)

Editing Two:

• Straight cuts used to show continuity.
• Tracking shots with handheld camera to show the fear of the group of friends to the audience and how disjointed everything's become.

Sound Two:

• The musics slow but builds up to create tension.
• Diegetic sounds of screaming and sound of the axe to create fear for the audience.

Mise-en-scene Two:

• The weapon would be key mise-en-scene.
• Blood would be mise-en-scene to show the seriousness of the situation.
• As the friends are camping they'd probably become dirty from falling down and would look ragged. 

Plot Three:

•  Our final plot idea is a stalker storyline, where an ex-boyfriend gets jealous of the fact that his girlfriend dumped him and got with someone else. He is now following her everywhere and takes pictures of everything she does, to later use against her.

Cinematography Three:

• Most of the shots would be done through looking threw the camera lens and are most likely to be close ups or long shots. 
• Close ups of them being a couple in flash back and then close ups of break up.

Editing Three:

• Flashbacks could be used to show his memory of them being a couple.
• Jump cuts as it is a teaser trailer, just snippets so the audience can feel the boy's pain.

Sound Three:

• The sound would be eerie, so it would be slow and deep.
• Camera snaps could be heard to build tension, getting quicker and quicker. 
• Dialogue of her and her new boyfriend.

Mise-en-scene Three:

• Urban setting to show fast paced city life.
• A dark, small room where the ex has got loads of pictures of her all over his walls.
• Prop of the camera.

Research and Planning: Media Theque Research

Whilst in London we also went to the MediaTheque, Me and Louise studied three different horror films.

One of the films we watched part of was a Dracula, which was made in 1958. This film has supernatural elements within it, which it make it a horror on the basis that Dracula prey's on beautiful women and then turns them into one of his own kind or empties the blood from their bodies. He also has powers which work inside the mind of his victims. The mise-en-scene in Dracula films is crucial to it as the symbols are what makes it such a well known film. There is always a castle where 'Count Dracula' lives and he sleeps in a coffin, there are always rich colours which are enticing to the victims. There is also the cross which people can use to make Dracula leave them alone. There are also shadows which comes into cinematography as the lighting is low key. The compositions are also important as the soundtrack lets the viewer know what's coming next. The fact that they are also made on an organ/piano also helps me, as I can make these kind of compositions on Garage Band on the iMac's. The shots are are also crucial as there are the typical two shots of Dracula leaning over the victim and high/low angles of Dracula looking at the neck and the victim looking up at his teeth.

We also watched part of the film Owl Service, made in 1969. The plot in this film is similar to what we were thinking of using as it is about a curse which possess three teenagers on a holiday together on 'haunted hills'. We are thinking of making a plot where a group of teenagers go camping and someone turns into a killer from a curse.

The last of the three films we watched was Street of Crocodiles made in 1986. This is the most recent film out of the three and perhaps the most disturbing. The sudden jump cuts in this short film of twenty minutes is crucial, if you blink you might miss something. However, it is all so disjointed it is difficult to grasp what is happening. Jump cuts are essential to a horror though as they startle the viewer and the events are usually disjointed going from one scene to the next quickly. The music is also very good and it is very chilling as it is played throughout and is very high pitched to the point where you cringe. The plot is very different and is based on puppets.

Research and Planning: London Research

During London we went to Madame Tussauds, The London Film Museum, Wicked and The Mediatheque in the BFI. During these places we took pictures and wrote down things that would help us as research for the making of our film teaser trailers. I have pictures from the London Film museum of the horror section to give me and Louise an idea of what we could include in the making of our final product. I have also took pictures from Wicked of the set showing what can be made, not to that standard of course. There are also pictures from Madame Tussauds of the waxworks in the horror department which are so life-like they can be considered real.