This is the complete 'Hidden in Plain Sight' project we did for our media A-level.
Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Tuesday, 9 May 2017
Friday, 5 May 2017
Evaluation #8 - What targets will we set ourselves for G324 next year?
Group Based Targets
Being in a group is good to make an effective project with a lot of pressure divided into multiple people instead of one person having all the stress to bear.
Since this was our first project, we were unsure of how to layout or plan or how to stay organised effectively and efficiently but it allows us to learn how to improve for our next project and remove or minimise our main issues that occurred during our production.
Coursework
Coursework is important for our overall grade and because we share some of the coursework posts we need to complete it means that we need to rely on each other to complete them before the deadline. A small part of coursework involves doing work about planning and organisation about our project, we were unsure of how to complete this task because it was difficult to plan ahead when we had other work and obstacles that prevent us from completing our tasks on time.
We would need to distribute out work and research to each group member to suit the members that have the suitable skills or knowledge for the task to ensure that the coursework is completed correctly. Effective distribution is also beneficial because it reduces the chances of a group member feeling overwhelmed with work and stressed throughout the production. We need to keep the morale in the group high to prevent group arguments or disagreements and this can heavily affect the group throughout the project
Team and group work
One thing we will need to improve on for our next project will be communication. Communication is key in group projects because it can greatly impact the productivity and production, if a member of the group doesn’t understand something or disagrees with something then the issue will need to be addressed with whom it involves so it can be resolved. We lost our main actor due to a complication with communication which led to a great need of an alternate method to complete our project. To do this we will need to ensure that this inconvenience does not happen again. We will need to check and ensure that the actor or actress we choose for our project is or will not be preoccupied at the time of our production creating process.
Another vital area of group work to work on is the motivation and morale of each team member. If a member feels down, demotivated, frustrated, stressed or overwhelmed then it can lead to heavy self-doubting and/or decrease in productivity and it can lead to a team member falling behind in work or dropping out of the group if they feel uncomfortable. All issues involving the project must be addressed and dealt or assisted with to allow the group moral to stay high and any feelings caused inside or outside the group can change impact the rest of the group.
Organisation
Organisation is key in group projects because it means that time, money and/or events can be laid out in the future to suit each team member but for the future project we will need to thoroughly discuss our plan for the project to ensure that it is completed in time for the deadline. A lot of the activity that we had for our project was done towards the last minute because we were unsure of a lot of areas in the project that we wanted or needed since not every member was available at certain times and this meant that there was a lot of stress caused due to panic about not completing film in time for the deadline. To allow us to reduce the amount of stress caused by the project we will need to improve our time management.
Another way to improve our organisation for our next time is to keep regular communication within the group and this includes sharing ideas and feelings about something related to the project. We need to check that each person is free for a specific date in advance instead of making plans one or two days before the actual day of activity and this is needed to have some time in between the time starting the plan and the event to allow plans to be altered if necessary, this also allows easier productivity for individuals because it means their external plans won’t need to be changed. Pre-planning can mean that if someone does drop out of the group then there will be time between the planning and the deadline to re-evaluate the situation.
A factor that impacted our organisation was the distance of our different settings and the locations. We weren’t always able to reach our locations because Worcester Park was a long distance from Epsom or Banstead, this means that next time we film we will need to choose a setting that will suit the whole group.
To do our filming, we needed to wait until it was dark outside to have the correct light in our scenes. To improve our productivity and to use our time more effectively, we will need to plan to do work based activities during the time we have when it is bright outside instead of procrastinating and/or getting distracted.
Technical:
Editing
Editing is a large area of our project because it is what allows us to put the film together and edit it. To help with the editing process for our next project, we can enhance our knowledge on the Adobe software by experimenting with the different functions available for us to use. We can also find ways to learn how to use it properly since not all members know how to use the Adobe programmes as much as other members, this will allow us to provide editing ideas for the person in charge of the editing stages of our project.
Lighting
We will need to improve on our lighting for our project because it was difficult to control for our scenes, this might still include using natural light as our main lighting. We could do this by adding more torches or other light sources outside of the frame to make allow the main image to look clearer for the audience.
Audio
During our production, we were using the microphone from inside the camera and a small attachable microphone to get our sound in our scenes. Later on we started to use a more professional microphone that allowed our audio to become a lot clearer in our project. For our next project, we will need to use this but to use it properly we will need to make sure that there are no sounds coming from elsewhere like there was in our original audio.
Camera
We were using a professional camera that is capable of capturing high quality video and images and it has multiple functions that we were not able to use in our production due to lack of time or lack of knowledge or practice with these functions. To enhance our project we can use more functions in the camera to allow our project to look more realistic and/or appealing to the audience.
Setting
Settings are difficult to find for specific needs during the pre-production stages of the project. This is because the area will not have the right characteristics that are required in the film, there is also problem with lighting and weather since the weather will determine how damp, dark, dry or bright the environment is and this can. The setting can greatly impact the continuity of our shots because it can seem bright in one shot but dark in the next one and this can make our film less realistic for the audience.
Evaluation #7 - What have we learnt in the progression from it to full product?
The preliminary task was a rough outline of what we wanted our film to be like, such as using parallel positioning to show a separation between the characters in the film and testing out different shots and techniques that could work well in our setting.
A lot did change from the preliminary task to the final product, the editing was more refined, a high-end camera was used and there was more focus on mise en scene and detail in the scenes. For example, we included two main settings, one inside and one outside, to create realism and engage the audience in the narrative.
In the preliminary task, there was a high use of shot-reverse shot which was carried over to the final project with more shot techniques added for variety and different shots suited the mood of the scene better and that carried more weight in the context of the situation.
One example of this would be in this shot where to create a sense of separation personality-wise between the characters, proxemics is used. Detective 2 is in the background with the Detainee and Detective 1 in the foreground. Separating the characters both physically and ideologically.
The next shot is a close-up shot, this is a generic shot used by many films but can contain hidden meaning it shows both the detainee and detective in the same frame, showing how the conversation’s topic has been narrowed to focus on what the detainee has to say instead of being interrupted by Detective 2.
A very important shot to use in filmmaking is the establishing shot, used to present the area that will be the focus of your scene. It often uses a wide angle lens to show the scope of an area in the amount that is necessary.
This shot was used to show an abandoned building that our main character discovers whilst in the woods. The camera could be very close to the building because it is quite low down and fairly wide.
During this scene, a lot of low angle shots looking up at the Detainee were used to show that he has power over his situation whereas later more levelled shots are used to show his amount of control has changed.
Another area of our media product we developed since creating the preliminary task was the sound. The sound captured by our camera was poor and didn’t record our voices properly which affected the outcome. We managed to develop our sound quality for our project whilst completing the production stages by obtaining a microphone that was more professional than the camera’s microphone that we used for our preliminary task. We learned about the capabilities of this microphone, such as quality of the sound recorded, how large the radius of sound capture is and how to position it effectively.
A video was made showing the editing process with Oliver commentating.
Evaluation #6 - What have we learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Nikon d3300
What is good about it?
The camera can take high-quality images and video and use a variety of advanced camera techniques to create professional looking shots. The camera allows us to video and take pictures in a high HD quality which will make our film more nicer to watch. The camera also allows us to swap lenses and change lens length for wide angle and tight angle shots which make our filming easier and also allows us to use different skills. On the top of the camera, there is a spinner that allows us to choose a variety of setting which allows us to try different camera effects and visuals. The spinner is placed on top of the camera which allows us to access it easily because it's placed near the handle. The camera has reasonable weight to it which makes our shot smoother when movement is involved because of the weight of the camera.
Microphone
This is a professional microphone. The microphone is made for recording music instruments and voice which makes it perfect for picking up speeches. The microphone comes with a holder which allows us to mount it on a stand so that we don't have to hold it. The foam ball is used to block wind and other interference from being recorded through it. The microphone allows us to change the wire to a different attachment like a jack plugs or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) wire. Behind the microphone, there is a button that allows us to switch to manual sound adjustment or auto adjustment. During the time we are filming, we had it on auto adjustment because manual adjustment required soundboard or some sought of a controller to control the sound. The microphone is shaped like a cylinder which makes it easier for us to hold it.
What is bad about this microphone?
The microphone only can pick up voices or any sound close to it because the microphone is more of a broadcast microphone. The microphone doesn't pick up background sounds. The microphone doesn't come with wire attachment like USB and jack plug. The microphone only works when it's connected to a computer only and it doesn't work if it is connected to the camera that is not capable of, or able to have plug-ins like the microphone.
Tripod
We used a high-quality tripod that holds and stabilise the camera so that we don't have to hold it and allow us to take more accurate shots for our film. This helps the camera image to be less shaky which makes our film smoother. The camera includes adjustment knobs that allow us to set it up in any position and allows us to lock it in place so that it will not topple over. The tripod allows the camera to move it up and down, pan it left and right to making our filming easier. The tripod is made out of a strong lightweight metal which allows us to use it in any condition whether if it's in the water, or a stormy day, or a snowy day. It also makes it harder to break and it will survive medium impacts and falls and the tripod comes with a small bag that allows us to carry it easier. The tripod also has a handle attached to it make it's easier for us to carry it without the bag. At the bottom of the tripod, there is rubber grip stand that provides better grip for the hands and it prevents the metal from scratching the surface. On the top of the tripod, there is a stabiliser measurement that allows us to see if the camera stand is straight or not.
Personalised and Custom-made computer
The speed of the computer is fast and smooth and was less prone to freezing than other computers. On the top and the back of the computer, there are attachment and ports for USBs, jack plug and other components. This allows us to connect any equipment to the computer like for example, a camera, microphone and more. This means that we were able to have multiple components plugged into the computer as we were filming and editing. The ports also allowed us to plug in our microphone see we can store our sounds, monitor them so we know which is which and edit them afterwards once we have finished,
The computer allows us to download software to edit videos and pictures, we can download the programmes we need onto the computer to carry out our editing process and any other areas we want or need. On computers, it is possible to transport the data on it by physically moving it (on a hard drive) or virtually (backed-up or uploaded onto the internet). The computer requires monitors so that we can see everything that is happening which means that we can see a clear layout of our project on adobe and to hear the sounds clearly through a plugged in speaker system. What is bad about this computer is that it is big and heavy which means that it is difficult to be carried or moved along the computer being restricted by the constant requirement of being plugged in for it to function.
Evaluation #5 - How did you attract/address your audience?
This is an annotated version of our 'Hidden in Plain Sight' video which briefly explains the different ideas, genre conventions and techniques that we used throughout the film.
This is more professional in filmmaking because it shows that everything seen and heard on the screen is done and used for a specific reason to allow the audience to feel more immersed in the storyline.
Evaluation #4 - Who would be the audience for your media product?
This picture shows the average member of our target audience, after extensive audience research using questionnaires and presenting our demographic data through graphs, we found out that large majority of the audience who showed some form of intrigue for our movie idea were people in the Group E section of the psychographic scale, this is beneficial as this group contains a very large number of people who have disposable money and are usually still living with parents who provide some form of dispensable income to be able to pay for and watch or movie. People In this age group can range from really young ages or really old ages that live with carers or pensioners, with ages ranging from 14-20 and 60-80, we would be targeting the younger audience since we don’t have as much experience with making a movie appealing to older audience, but we are in our own target age range and so can relate to what our audience wants in a movie and what conventions they desire. People in the age range of 14-20 years old are usually thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies that require some form of action or hook to keep them entertained which is why the horror conventions fit so neatly into this age group as older audiences are usually more put off from watching horror films, horror movies add to the thirst for action and thrills that the younger audiences require which is one of the reasons why our movie would appeal to this age group. The average person in group E of the psychographic scale is a teenager going to college or maybe secondary school, they would have interests in the newest trends and be aware of the newest things coming out, making promotion for our film easy, we could use the uses and gratifications theory to help identify the specific group in our age range we are targeting, since our movie is set in a fictional environment with very unconventional to real life elements we can tailor it to target an audience of people who seek escapism and seek a diversion from real life by entering a fictional world that’s different to what they are used to. The younger audience we are targeting find acceptance in society by following the ideology that going out with friends and watching a horror film will provide a place for that person in a group and feel a sense of social acceptance. A teenager in the age range of 14-20 years will usually be very in touch with pop culture, following the mainstream ideology of whatever today’s culture seems as cool or acceptable. On the topic of gender, our films seem to tailor more to the male side of our audience since the conventions of a violent horror film lean more towards the idea of masculinity, violence, and bravery to watch a scary film. Overall there are multiple reasons as to why our target audience is an unemployed teenager who most likely lives with parents and is funded by them.
Evaluation #3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Hi, I'm Oliver Bridle and I am part of the group that created Hidden in Plain Sight for our media studies project.
Because of its setting and time period, many movie studios would likely pass up on a movie like this or at most give it a very small budget.
It may be seen as an obstacle to have a small budget but it helps in refining the dialogue and story more to distract from cost cutting measures.
For our movie, we would expect to have a small studio such as A24 to invest in the project, mainly because it’s a type of movie that wouldn’t usually be seen in cinemas in this day and age due to its slow pace and time setting.
A24 have released many small budget and risky movies including
- The Lobster
- Swiss Army Man
- Green Room
- Moonlight
- Enemy
- Room
- Tusk
These types of movies are all very different with some being strange cross-genre combinations.
To pitch this kind of movie a sort of taster short film may be made out of our own pocket so that the studio we would pitch to could get an idea of the feel of the movie before making a risky monetary investment.
Institutionally this film is similar to ‘Swiss Army Man’ because it is a niche movie with a high investment risk for the distributor, ‘Swiss Army Man’ made $5.1 million USD at the box office on a $3 million USD budget, a relatively small amount compared to blockbuster movie franchises with well-established fan bases such as movies from Marvel Studios owned by Disney, which can gross hundreds of millions of dollars.
We wanted to keep the title credits in theme for our movie, the film itself is primarily a mystery/thriller based in the 1970’s so we used mysterious music and a simple graphic for the intro reminiscent of 70s horror flicks such as ‘Friday the 13th’ whilst still using modern effects to contrast it.
For our title credits, we had everyone’s names shown seeing as there were only 3 cast members in the whole film, we used one title card for all of the names to keep the intro short.
Overall, through the use of many different effects, we got the desired look for our titles sequence.
Evaluation #2 - How does our media product represent particular social groups?
In terms of costume, the two characters in our project are very similar to the duo displayed on the right picture of john Simms, the main lead detective in our move is wearing a trench coat, and polo shirt very similar to the man on the right of the Johnny Simms picture, however, and he is wearing a leather jacket instead. The top button of our detective character is undone to create a scruffy representation for our detective character to suggest that he isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, similar to the duo on the right who are shown to have loosely done ties, undone top buttons and uneven collars suggesting they have been in some form of conflict and to add some sense of power and authority as it suggests they aren’t afraid to start a conflict with the antagonist.
The victim character in our movie is shown to be wearing a white button up t-shirt which again, is conventional in the average 70’s stereotypical costume, this character isn’t necessarily a detective so can’t be effectively compared to the duo on the right side since the fact that he isn’t a detective suggests he doesn’t have the status to wear a full trench coat outfit, but we can compare the unbuttoned loose t-shirt that brings across the same image that we tried to convey through the detective character, however, the use of a loose messy shirt like this can also connote that the character has been on the losing end of a conflict and has been beaten up or lost a fight, creating the opposite impression presented by the detective.
The actual facial features of our detective character are quite different to the two detectives on the right who are shown to be clean shaven with combed and maintained hair, our detective character is shown to have scruffy, frizzy hair and unshaven facial hair to add to the more violent image conveyed through his costume design, since our movie is a horror, it is conventional to use lots of dark lighting and low-key lighting to create a sense of discretion and fear, the inclusion of the facial hair and long curly hair in the picture shown above is effective in hiding a majority of his head and making only his head visible due to the lamp, this darkening of is surrounding body through facial hair and clothing is effective in creating a sense of anonymity and mystery due to how much of the character is hidden in darkness, this can be seen as similar to the two characters on the right, who wear trench coats which are popular for concealing objects and making a character seem a lot more ominous and mysterious, however, the use of lighting isn’t used to convey any form of mystery.
Both the character on the left image and the two on the right are undercover police/detectives and share very similar roles in their individual films/series, our detective character is assigned to investigate a recent incident involve the antagonist of the movie and is required to intercept this antagonist , very similar to the television series “life on mars” featuring the character in the leather jacket on the right, whose role is also an undercover police officer and detective who’s role in each episode is to intercept an antagonist/ criminal and bring justice to restore the new equilibrium in the plot only to be disrupted again next episode.
Evaluation #1 - In what ways does our media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Title of the Film, Title Font and Style
The title of our film is called ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ because a supernatural being has been hidden from the public and cannot be seen easily. It has its title because of the demon not be being able to be identified by the public but the demon’s presence is there right in front of their eyes the whole time. The words ‘hidden in plain sight’ were used to create an enigma code for the audience to create mystery throughout the rest of the film and makes the audience question who or what is hidden, why that object or person is hiding and who is looking for it. The mystery is an effective convention used in horror movies because it adds to the suspense which makes them more curious to what’s going to happen to the main character, in this case, the ‘detainee’. The word “sight” also adds a creepy effect because it means that a possible entity can be watching or seeing everything that happens in and out of the scenes, the audience will be unaware of when the object will or can appear and scare them.
The title is catchy and grabbing for the audience because it is an intriguing phase that can be used in a horror form if it has had a build up as a horror as it was being advertised or produced. The words used in the title can also be used to involve the audience because it means that they can be a part of the investigation that takes part in the movie.
The style and font are set as a written form that looks archaic for the audience. This is to create a creepy effect and also relate to the age of the ancient demon that is present throughout the movie. The white of the titles give a ghostly effect since ghosts are commonly seen as white inside horror movies, the also fade away like burnt paper and this is used to represent the spontaneous and sudden presence of a supernatural entity.
A faded red colour appears above the title to represent the splatter of blood that is left from the demon’s victims throughout the films, this is to make the audience feel intrigued and hint to them that there will be blood throughout the movie.
Setting/location
Our first setting was based inside an interrogation room which was used to have the scene where the detainee was being questioned by the two detectives. We were not able to get a room that has the original features of a real room used for questioning so the most suited room for the scene was Oliver’s living room since it was a controlled area where we could use dark lighting and isolated sound but it was also easily accessible so it was easy to film and edit when we needed to.
On the screen, in the background, we can see the curtains of the lounge but this can be used as an additional feature to get the audience to question the detective’s real intentions and if they are real detectives since it the questioning is not taking place in the police station. We knew that this area was always available for us since we didn’t need permission for access and didn’t have to worry about weather or other factors that may impact the continuity of our shots.
Even though it seems minimalistic, the forest is a classic setting for many horror movies such as ‘Cabin in the Woods’, ‘The Evil Dead’ and ‘The Blair Witch Project’ because it is the ideal setting for ominous and creepy settings, natural sounds and surroundings that can easily create a dark atmosphere for the audience. The cycle of the seasons can play a big part in different genres, for example, in Autumn the trees have bright and colourful leaves that fall off of them which can create a romantic effect for a romance based genre but in the Winter the trees look like they have been stripped of all life since they look grey and/or dead which symbolises death and decay and this is why we used the leafless trees in our film.
Forests are also common for killers and murders because it is an isolated area that is sparsely populated and it is easy for the antagonist to hide from the people he/she is stalking which can create more mystery in the scene.
Costumes
The mise en scene includes a typical London look for a teenager which is a school uniform that consists of a school shirt and school trousers. The two top buttons are undone and his sleeves are rolled up to make him look rebellious and cool. Even though he has made his appearance like that to fit his personality, he seems innocent but nervous and his facial expressions and appearance juxtapose with each other to create a red herring for the audience because they are unsure of if the detainee is innocent or not.
We based our detective's costumes on what the people of that profession would wear in the 1970s and the inspiration came from an old detective series from 2006 called ‘Life on Mars’. We used the casual clothing so it looked like the detectives are calm and trusting for both the other characters in the movie and the audience since it made them look more like the people they were talking to and not intimidating suits. We got the clothing from Oliver’s dad because we thought they looked the most suitable for our production since they looked like the type of clothing that people had during the 1970s.
Props
The Relic
We used house ornament for our demonic relic inside our film that is the shape of an evil being’s mouth from the underworld but it was originally was a cigarette tray. We chose this prop because it had features that looked like it will be from a supernatural realm so it will create a creepy and unnerving effect for the audience, it also matches the location we shot which was decayed and decrepit. We had inspiration from different movies such as ‘Indiana Jones’, ‘The Mummy’ and ‘The Evil Dead’ since they all involved finding artefacts that released a form of power that can be used to conquer lands. The object was round and obscure because we wanted the audience to be curious to what it is along with the character in the movie because it is unique and strange.
The Lamp
The lamp was a part of the mise en scene because it is a typical feature inside of movies that have interrogation scenes. It is used to make the interrogators look more intimidating for both the audience and for the detainee since it shines towards the detainees face, blinds them and makes it so they can’t see the detective's face as much, this is to add mystery to the scenes.
We also used it because it is a diegetic source of light that can light up the scene enough for the audience to see the characters on the scene without us needing to add an external light source and ruin the realism of the scene. Another use of the lights is to emphasise the characters actions and facial expressions, the audience will be able to see the detective trying to be friendly to the detainee, the other detective being impatient and the detainee being anxious about his position.
Camera Work
The camerawork in the film took a lot of thought and consideration, we had to work out which shot suited each moment otherwise it may not have had the same effect on the audience.
We used two continuous takes because we wanted to experiment with different filming techniques, using multiple types of shots in one take.
The low angle denotes authority from the detainee as he has control over the scene in the beginning. Later on, the camera angles are more level with the detainee showing a shift in power as he is becoming more paranoid and scared.
Another shot we used focused on and faced Detective 1, with the Detainee unfocused so that the audience’s eyes are drawn to the Detective instead of the Detainee whilst he is talking. We kept the Detainee in the shot so that the audience can keep a grip on the positions of the characters more easily.
Editing
When we were editing the movie we looked at the pacing very closely constantly going back over our film to see if it flowed well, with the 2 minute time constraint it was difficult to find a balance that suited the theme of the film consistently but in the end managed to get to a point in which we were happy with the result.
It was very important to make sure shots lingered for just the right amount of time but didn’t seem too jarring, an alternating use of long and short shots was the best way to go we found as every shot is different and requires its own attention.
A noticeable difference is that during the interrogation room sequence the shots are shorter because it cuts every time a line is spoken apart from during the
Story, How the opening sets it up and How characters are introduced
The plot to ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ is a teenager who comes across a strange object as he’s walking to school from home but he is unaware that this obscure ornament (the prop) was a demonic relic that possessed the first person to came into contact with it and this is what is shown in our opening. The rest of the movie will be about investigating the killings that have been happening with the police investigating each one as more murders are occurring due to the demon living, or hiding, inside of the detainee/victim.
The detectives are the first characters to be introduced in the opening as one of the detectives is asking the detainee about what happened in the forest.
We make the first impressions of the first detective to be good and effective to make him seem like a trusting and calm character for the audience. We did this by giving him a calm and quiet voice and slow movements throughout the scene and he also called the detainee as “son” to make him seem mature and professional.
The other detective was seen as aggressive and impatient during the first scene and this was to act as an opposite with the other detective. We did this by keeping him standing up because the character doesn’t like being in the same place for periods of time, he spoke with a strong London accent and he loses his patiently which is seen as he says “waste of time”.
The two detective characters act as a ‘good cop-bad cop’ style and method which is a common feature in many old movies that involves tense interrogation scenes.
In the first scene, the two detectives question what the detainee was doing during the time of the incident where he was found inside of an interrogation room. This introduces the two detectives into the movie.
Edward plays a typical teenager from a sixth form school in London. He is seen as a curious character but a nervous one at times throughout the film.
Genre and how the opening suggests it
Our movie is a horror movie because we thought it will be an effective style to produce with a large target audience and even though our opening is only around two minutes long we introduced our storyline for the horror movie with the characters, the plot and the issue within it.
From the picture, we can see the victim screaming after he picked up the mysterious object he found on the wall. After he puts the object down he hears a large demonic roar coming from inside his head and this diegetic sound adds tension to the scene because it is creepy and creates an enigma code for the audience of what sound was and where it came from originally. We end the scene with a cliffhanger after the character yells in pain to get the audience to want to know what happens next and make it more gripping since the second scene escalated from the first one.
Special Effects
We didn’t use that many special effects for our project but when we did, we did it in relation to the horror genre. In the two pictures seen above, they show the transition in filters as the demonic presence appears in the scene. This is to give an eery effect for the audience since darkness and darker colours represent the evil antagonist of the movie, it also acts as a hint to the audience that something bad or scary will happen to build the tension.
Codes and Conventions in our opening two minutes
Throughout our movie, we have used various codes and conventions to ensure that our film fits as a horror genre.
Isolation - For our setting, we used a forest like area as the ‘Detainee’ is telling the story to the detectives that explains how he got into his position. Isolation is a common theme inside of horror movies because it allows the characters to seem vulnerable to predators and it allows the section of the movie to be based around how helpless the characters are.
Age - Age is a common factor inside of any horror movie because it can affect the realism and other areas of the plot; young people or teenagers are seen as energetic or mischievous which can be used to initiate the issue in the movie which then leads to the introduction or motive for the antagonist to carry their intentions. Elderly people are seen as less energetic people and this means that they are more vulnerable which can lead to a much shorter storyline than teenagers.
Dark Theme - We used a dark theme throughout the movie to keep a dark and creepy atmosphere for the audience. We did this by using low lit settings, demonic effects and sounds, a theme of decay in the forest, and minimalistic colours. This adds to the tension of the movie because the dark theme acts a catalyst for tension; dark colours normally resemble an evil and creepy plot line but light colours can be used to encourage the audience to feel relaxed or calm in during the movie which is the opposite effect that we intended to have.
Music - Another important area of any movie is the non-diegetic sound or sounds that are used to help create an eerie effect for the audience. We did this by having parallel sounds to help the anchorage of the scene; the quiet music playing in the background of the first scene is angelic which relates to heaven, this is effective because it juxtaposes the theme of demons which is the main motif of the movie.
Sound - We used different sounds and noises in our film such as dialogue and sound effects. Our main sound effect was the demonic scream at the end of the second scene. This was effective because it was scary to the audience since they weren’t expecting it and the sound was unique to everyday noises so it added to the eeriness of the scene.
Enigma Codes - At the end of our film, we ended it with a sharp finish that leaves the audience wanting to know what happened after. This is effective because it allows the audience to feel curious for the rest of the film.
Interviews and job description
Oliver Bridle
For our project, Oliver was the director of the movie. He kept a picture in his head of how he wants the scene to look and where the characters need to be for the whole scene in order for the production to be carried out as planned. Any changes the characters or set would have to be considered thoroughly by him because a change that is small or large can impact the outcome of our project. Since half of our project was filmed in his house, he could change objects in the room to suit the scene.
He was also the producer as well as the director which meant that he was in charge of the script and who said what, where they said it and how they say it. Like the directing role, all changes or adaptations made to the script will need to be discussed and thought out so we don’t make any unseen errors through the editing process or any obstacles that can impact our productivity or the project itself. If any errors are seen after the production was over, it can risk damaging the continuity of the scenes and ruin the realism or ‘cinematic illusion’ for the audience.
He was in charge of the editing of our project, he needed to keep in charge of the editing so he can create the project using his own ideas that he had planned from before the project started. He was also one of the most experienced in the area of editing footage so he was aware of the multiple tools and effects that are available in the Adobe collection. We would have to discuss as a group what changes we would need to make during the editing process to improve our production and all decisions made would need to be approved by Oliver. After the processes needed for our movie were complete, he had to upload our videos to YouTube so that we can evaluate them and complete coursework based on them.
His last job in our project was acting ‘Detective 2’ in the first scene. Since he was the director and writer of the project, he knew what he needed to say and do to act out that scene in his image. He would act out the other actors’ roles to demonstrate to them what they need to do and say properly to complete the scene correctly.
Edward Lai
One of Edward’s jobs was to edit the media for our project, an example of this would be our film company’s logo.
Oliver came up with the name “Ramhorn Studios” because it sounded ominous and creepy for a horror based company. Ed was using Adobe Photoshop to produce his own idea of what the company logo should be. He chose do this because he was experienced of editing pictures outside of the project since he had gained his knowledge in previous lessons.
Here is an example of what he has edited.
He also did the location research and this was important because it allowed us to discuss where the best places were for our production and to get the atmosphere we needed from the environment.
He did the background research for the planning of the project. This is important because it gave us extra information about the areas that were involved in our film, such as costume research. The costume research was important because it gave us an idea of what the adults wore during the 1970s era, this would impact the realism of the movie if it is not accurate.
He was in charge of the photography of the movie, he needed to take pictures throughout the filming process and editing stages cover the behind the scenes basis of the project. Similarly to the editing, Edward was also experienced in photography because of his hobbies outside of school so this meant that he knew about the different framing techniques and how to use a camera more effectively. Getting the pictures for the behind the scenes was important because it is common for many films to have them and it gives an insight of the movie for the audience of how it was created.
He played the ‘Detainee’ in the project because we thought he would be suitable to play a typical teenager of the 1970s. This was a vital role in the project because the ‘Detainee’ was the one who the film is based on and without him, the film had not had a main antagonist.
The role was to follow the script and complete any actions that Oliver told us to do to finish the scene.
Nicholas Bryant
I was in charge of keep the team organised and making sure that no important information is missed throughout the project’s production stages. If there was information missed, it could lead to conflicts amongst the team members or inconvenient absences.
Keeping effective and efficient organisation is key during team-based projects because it can slowly fall apart or pieces/areas of work can be missed, forgotten about or damaged in some way. If the project has no organisation then it can lead to being rushed and some stages that are important will not be done properly and with enough thought which can greatly impact outcome of the film.
I needed to distribute out the coursework and research to the group the different team members to ensure that no-one feels overworked or stressed which can lead to a drop in morale or confidence which can have a further impact on the effectiveness of the team. I also needed to keep constant communication with each team member to inform them on any upcoming project-based meetups were happening or any important updates that the group will need to hear in order to continue with coursework.
I tested out the Adobe Programmes to gain knowledge on the different techniques that are available in the software. To do this, I put together a small collection of different fonts, styles and backgrounds as examples to see which ones are the best to use if we needed them for our project.
I also played ‘Detective 1’ in the project. Like the role of the ‘Detainee’, I was able to be placed around the set for where Oliver wants so that we could continue filming the scene.
Ergist Grricaj
In the picture, Ergist is editing and evaluating the mood board. He has a hobby of drawing which meant that he was capable of drawing accurate and well-made art so he was the most suitable for the role of the concept art and mood board.
Creating a mood board was important in the early stages of our production because it gave the director and the other members of the team an idea of what their movie will be about and what to expect when it comes to carrying out the acting stages.
Like Edward and Oliver, he has a clear understanding to the editing software that was available. He helped Oliver with the editing for the movie, mood board and other areas of the project to help speed up the production rate for the movie and coursework.
Even though he is not a part of the film, Ergist’s roles were to complete any additional research that required detailed explanations and because of his past experiences in media, he could evaluate different forms of media in great and accurate detail.
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