|
Date
|
Task
|
Completed
|
|
|
|
|
|
8th-12th August
|
Complete Storyboard
|
Yes
|
|
12th-16th
August
|
Complete Script
|
In Progress
|
|
1st-6th September
|
Complete Film Poster
|
|
|
9th-13th September
|
Complete Magazine article
|
|
|
14th-15th September
|
Complete filming
|
|
|
16th-October
|
Complete editing
|
|
|
November-onwards
|
Distribute film and evaluation
|
|
Friday, 16 August 2013
Plan update.
The storyboards took a little longer to complete than we thought but today we completed them. The script is still in progress, so we may need a little longer to work on that but it shouldn't affect our time scale too much :)
Tuesday, 13 August 2013
The Haunted Cinema.
I found this documentary styled, short film that investigates a haunted cinema. I found some good bits in it that we could adapt and put into our own film. I especially liked the beginning where it cuts to the locals reactions on the cinema.
History to influence our story.
Michelle and I met up last week to further discuss narrative and build on our storyboard. Before we met up I took a trip to our local Museum and Library to see if they had any information on the cinema and how it used to be a Gaol. I wanted to find out if anything exciting happened there, so that we could incorporate it into our storyline, especially as we are creating a Mocumentary, we still want some facts.
So, my visit to the Museum went quite well, they were unable to find any information in their museum but gave me some very handy researching tips! They also suggested I use the Town Hall for some of our footage, this is because an old Gaol still stands in that building. We could definitely use this to get some good shots, perhaps as flashbacks of what the cinema used to look like. My visit to the library was also quite exciting. The staff were able to show me some old newspaper clippings of the many Theatres our town used to have. This wasn't really what I was looking for but it still got me thinking of ideas.
It wasn't until I got home that night and began to do my own researching, advised by the Museum, that I came across exactly what I was looking for.
Firstly, I found a plan of the Old Gaol, where the cinema now stands. Here is an image of the plan that I found...
www.smuggling.co.uk/gazetteer_se_14.html
Dover Goal – Plan dated 1818 for a new Goal in Dover
I think that this plan is great! We can use this at some point in our film, perhaps during the interview with the 'cinema worker' he could show this to the film maker.
My research didn't stop there! I continued to dig and finally I found some amazing information. I found out that the cinema once had a huge mob wreck the Gaol to break out some Smugglers. They literally pulled the prison apart to free the smugglers. There were many deaths and tragic happenings on this day. Eventually the smugglers were released but meanwhile outside, the mob continued to rampage through the town, smashing windows. The gaol was damaged beyond repair and a new one had to be constructed. The whole
event was commemorated in a Folk-song...
We smuggling boys are merry boys
Sometimes here and sometimes there
No rent nor taxes do we pay,
But a man of war is all our fear.
'Twas on the 21 st of May,
As you will understand,
We sailed out of Boulogne Bay,
Bound for the English land.
But to our sad misfortune,
And to our great surprise,
We were chased by two galleys,
Belonging to the excise.
Oh then my boys for liberty,
Was the cry of one and all,
But soon they overpowered us,
With powder and with ball.
They dragged us up to Gaol,
In irons bound like thieves,
All for to serve great George our King,
and force us to the seas.
The wives for their husbands
Were in such sad distress,
For children round the gaol
Were crying fatherless.
And sure the sight was shocking
For any one to see,
But still the cry came from the mob,
For death or liberty.
Oh then a hole all in the wall,
Was everybody's cry.
And Lillburn and McCullock's men
were soon obliged to fly.
For bricks and tiles flew so fast,
From every point you see,
And these poor men from Dover gaol,
They gained their liberty.
And now they've gained their liberty
The long wide world to range,
Long life to the women,
Likewise to the men.
I couldn't believe it when I found this information and I knew that me and Michelle had to some how put it into our film. As you can guess, we did have to change our story line slightly but we now have a final narrative.
Final story:
The first part of the film will be very similar. We will show a clip of the cinema being used by people on the 21st May in the 1950's. It will then appear that they were never seen again. Another black screen appears, telling the audience that on the 21st May, every year since then, unexplained events occur. It will then cut to numerous newspaper reports, news footage up to the modern day , showing how still, unexplained events such as, power cuts, fires keep occurring at the Cinema every 21st May. it then appears that Michelle, the young student film maker, wants to know more and is not satisfied with the idea that this is just a coincidence...
She decides to contact someone who worked at the cinema during the time when the group of 15 went missing during a viewing, in the 1950's. A man arranges to meet her there, to show her around and tell her what he knows.
Michelle arrives at the cinema and for a while nobody turns up but finally as she turns around he is standing by the doors unexpectedly. They go in and begin to talk about why she is investigating the place and why she finds the whole situation weird. She asks him where he was the night the people went missing, he explains how he was stood outside and he could smell burning. The film then cuts to a black screen showing people in the town being interviewed about the cinema. One woman says, "No, I no longer go to the cinema. Not after what Iv'e heard about it." After more clips of town people it cuts back to the man speaking about what happened that night. He says that when he went into the cinema, nobody was there. No film was playing. No nothing. Michelle becomes very uneasy around this man and asks many direct questions. He begins to ignore them and wanders around the foyer. He then offers to give her a tour around the viewing area.
They sit down in the cinema seats and there is silence for a long period of time. He eventually begins to mutter the date, 1826. He tells her that this is a new date for her to remember. 21st May, 1826. He goes on to tell her how this cinema marks the spot of the old Gaol where hundreds of smugglers were brought to justice that day. He goes on to tell her about the mob that raided the Gaol and how their loved ones broke them out but many were also killed. He tells her that he never talks about this because he doesn't know who's listening. Suddenly the fire alarm goes off and cuts their conversation.
Screen cuts again to interviewing people on the street. Michelle asks what they think of the occurrences that happened on the 21st May. Some reply that they don't want to talk about it. Others say that there is nothing wrong with that date and they've had no experiences in the cinema.
Back to the cinema, the man shows Michelle the projector room. He talks about when he used to work at the cinema and how he used to place the film, ready to be projected, leave for 5 mins, come back and the film was tangled across the floor. He begins to laugh and find this funny. Michelle stands there looking at him blankly. He reaches into his pocket to show her a map of the Gaol and as he does Michelle notices an odd marking on his hand...
He pulls away and walks out. Michelle sits in the room for a while and talks to her camera. Asking herself why she is here and how she feels uneasy about the situation. She suddenly hears a banging. She follows the noise and realises that there is someone standing at the door. She opens the door and the man says, "Hello nice to meet you, I'm Andy, I'm here to show you round the cinema." Michelle stands there in shock and tells him that he can't be the person, as the man has already arrived and shown her round. She freaks out as she realises there is nobody but her in the cinema. The camera cuts off.
The final scene, shows a black screen once again, telling the audience that a few days later, this information was found. A picture of the man who showed her around the cinema appears on the screen but underneath is an article that dates 1846. He is dressed in a prisoner outfit and the headlines reads...'SMUGGLER DIES IN GAOL AFTER MOB BREAKS OUT' The picture zooms in on his hand, where the mark that she saw on him is also on this photo. The next shot is black for several seconds. Michelle's face then appears as she is talking to her camera looking extremely distressed. She tells the audience that she doesn't understand what she has discovered and she doesn't know if she's solved the case of the 21st of May, but what she does know is that it happened. Maybe she broke the cycle for that horrible, horrible date or maybe she didn't. This silences her but eventually her last breath mutters, "Sometimes questions are better left unanswered." The film ends with an abrupt black screen and as the credits begin to role, the folk song of the event plays eerily in the background.
So, my visit to the Museum went quite well, they were unable to find any information in their museum but gave me some very handy researching tips! They also suggested I use the Town Hall for some of our footage, this is because an old Gaol still stands in that building. We could definitely use this to get some good shots, perhaps as flashbacks of what the cinema used to look like. My visit to the library was also quite exciting. The staff were able to show me some old newspaper clippings of the many Theatres our town used to have. This wasn't really what I was looking for but it still got me thinking of ideas.
It wasn't until I got home that night and began to do my own researching, advised by the Museum, that I came across exactly what I was looking for.
Firstly, I found a plan of the Old Gaol, where the cinema now stands. Here is an image of the plan that I found...www.smuggling.co.uk/gazetteer_se_14.html
Dover Goal – Plan dated 1818 for a new Goal in Dover
I think that this plan is great! We can use this at some point in our film, perhaps during the interview with the 'cinema worker' he could show this to the film maker.
My research didn't stop there! I continued to dig and finally I found some amazing information. I found out that the cinema once had a huge mob wreck the Gaol to break out some Smugglers. They literally pulled the prison apart to free the smugglers. There were many deaths and tragic happenings on this day. Eventually the smugglers were released but meanwhile outside, the mob continued to rampage through the town, smashing windows. The gaol was damaged beyond repair and a new one had to be constructed. The whole
event was commemorated in a Folk-song...
We smuggling boys are merry boys
Sometimes here and sometimes there
No rent nor taxes do we pay,
But a man of war is all our fear.
'Twas on the 21 st of May,
As you will understand,
We sailed out of Boulogne Bay,
Bound for the English land.
But to our sad misfortune,
And to our great surprise,
We were chased by two galleys,
Belonging to the excise.
Oh then my boys for liberty,
Was the cry of one and all,
But soon they overpowered us,
With powder and with ball.
They dragged us up to Gaol,
In irons bound like thieves,
All for to serve great George our King,
and force us to the seas.
The wives for their husbands
Were in such sad distress,
For children round the gaol
Were crying fatherless.
And sure the sight was shocking
For any one to see,
But still the cry came from the mob,
For death or liberty.
Oh then a hole all in the wall,
Was everybody's cry.
And Lillburn and McCullock's men
were soon obliged to fly.
For bricks and tiles flew so fast,
From every point you see,
And these poor men from Dover gaol,
They gained their liberty.
And now they've gained their liberty
The long wide world to range,
Long life to the women,
Likewise to the men.
I couldn't believe it when I found this information and I knew that me and Michelle had to some how put it into our film. As you can guess, we did have to change our story line slightly but we now have a final narrative.
Final story:
The first part of the film will be very similar. We will show a clip of the cinema being used by people on the 21st May in the 1950's. It will then appear that they were never seen again. Another black screen appears, telling the audience that on the 21st May, every year since then, unexplained events occur. It will then cut to numerous newspaper reports, news footage up to the modern day , showing how still, unexplained events such as, power cuts, fires keep occurring at the Cinema every 21st May. it then appears that Michelle, the young student film maker, wants to know more and is not satisfied with the idea that this is just a coincidence...
She decides to contact someone who worked at the cinema during the time when the group of 15 went missing during a viewing, in the 1950's. A man arranges to meet her there, to show her around and tell her what he knows.
Michelle arrives at the cinema and for a while nobody turns up but finally as she turns around he is standing by the doors unexpectedly. They go in and begin to talk about why she is investigating the place and why she finds the whole situation weird. She asks him where he was the night the people went missing, he explains how he was stood outside and he could smell burning. The film then cuts to a black screen showing people in the town being interviewed about the cinema. One woman says, "No, I no longer go to the cinema. Not after what Iv'e heard about it." After more clips of town people it cuts back to the man speaking about what happened that night. He says that when he went into the cinema, nobody was there. No film was playing. No nothing. Michelle becomes very uneasy around this man and asks many direct questions. He begins to ignore them and wanders around the foyer. He then offers to give her a tour around the viewing area.
They sit down in the cinema seats and there is silence for a long period of time. He eventually begins to mutter the date, 1826. He tells her that this is a new date for her to remember. 21st May, 1826. He goes on to tell her how this cinema marks the spot of the old Gaol where hundreds of smugglers were brought to justice that day. He goes on to tell her about the mob that raided the Gaol and how their loved ones broke them out but many were also killed. He tells her that he never talks about this because he doesn't know who's listening. Suddenly the fire alarm goes off and cuts their conversation.
Screen cuts again to interviewing people on the street. Michelle asks what they think of the occurrences that happened on the 21st May. Some reply that they don't want to talk about it. Others say that there is nothing wrong with that date and they've had no experiences in the cinema.
Back to the cinema, the man shows Michelle the projector room. He talks about when he used to work at the cinema and how he used to place the film, ready to be projected, leave for 5 mins, come back and the film was tangled across the floor. He begins to laugh and find this funny. Michelle stands there looking at him blankly. He reaches into his pocket to show her a map of the Gaol and as he does Michelle notices an odd marking on his hand...
He pulls away and walks out. Michelle sits in the room for a while and talks to her camera. Asking herself why she is here and how she feels uneasy about the situation. She suddenly hears a banging. She follows the noise and realises that there is someone standing at the door. She opens the door and the man says, "Hello nice to meet you, I'm Andy, I'm here to show you round the cinema." Michelle stands there in shock and tells him that he can't be the person, as the man has already arrived and shown her round. She freaks out as she realises there is nobody but her in the cinema. The camera cuts off.
The final scene, shows a black screen once again, telling the audience that a few days later, this information was found. A picture of the man who showed her around the cinema appears on the screen but underneath is an article that dates 1846. He is dressed in a prisoner outfit and the headlines reads...'SMUGGLER DIES IN GAOL AFTER MOB BREAKS OUT' The picture zooms in on his hand, where the mark that she saw on him is also on this photo. The next shot is black for several seconds. Michelle's face then appears as she is talking to her camera looking extremely distressed. She tells the audience that she doesn't understand what she has discovered and she doesn't know if she's solved the case of the 21st of May, but what she does know is that it happened. Maybe she broke the cycle for that horrible, horrible date or maybe she didn't. This silences her but eventually her last breath mutters, "Sometimes questions are better left unanswered." The film ends with an abrupt black screen and as the credits begin to role, the folk song of the event plays eerily in the background.
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
Producing a Plan.
Me and Michelle have realised how important it is to stay organised and get things done. This is why I have decided to create us a plan to stick to. The plan lists the things we need to do and when they need to be done by. At the moment everything is in red because it is uncompleted but I will frequently post updates of the plan, which will show our progress throughout making our film. I think that this plan is a great way to stay organised and I'm sure that it will help lead us to making a successful film!
Plan
Date
|
Task
|
Completed
|
8th-12th
August
|
Complete
Storyboard
|
|
12th-16th
August
|
Complete
Script
|
|
1st-6th
September
|
Complete
Film Poster
|
|
9th-13th
September
|
Complete
Magazine article
|
|
14th-15th
September
|
Complete
filming
|
|
16th-October
|
Complete
editing
|
|
November-onwards
|
Distribute
film and evaluation
|
Detailed Research.
Now that our storyline is progressing and we know what type of film we want to create, I thought that it would be a good idea to have a closer look at some other short films which a hold a similar style to inspire us. Our film is going to be a mix of the Thriller/documentary hand held genre. Below is some of the films that I have researched and I have noted the parts that I especially like. This research will really become useful when creating our storyboards, as we can incorporate and adapt the parts we like from other films into ours.
This website offered me a lot of help, it listed lots of hand held movies to inspire us. http://www.imdb.com/list/G3azusUlYd4/
Lake Mungo
Watching this film clip, there were several things I found that really worked well. The first thing I really liked was the black screen at the beginning with the writing, instantly telling people that the story is based on true events. The voice over in the background explaining this, was also very effective and instantly engaged me. I think that in our short film we will use a similar beginning, also using a voice over. Perhaps our voice over could be the young student filmmaker from our story explaining that the following events are true.
The second part I liked was the initial opening sequence to the film. The soundtrack was upbeat and everything appeared to be normal in the characters life. It wasn't until later as the story unfolded that the eerie soundtrack started. I think that this happy beginning made the film seem more realistic but also gave the audience an emotional attachment to the character. Then when something bad was revealed it had an even bigger shock as it was unexpected. In our short film, I think that the beginning part could do the same type of thing. We could show clips of people visiting the cinema happily, along with an upbeat soundtrack before we reveal that the cinema was responsible for 15 people going missing.
Chernobyl Diaries
Between 0:30 and 0:40 the clip shows old styled footage and news clippings of what happened at Chernobyl Diaries years ago. I loved the way they created a tense, vintage vibe. They have used a grainy camera effect to create an old fashioned feel, as if the footage was just discovered. This builds tension and mystery. We could easily create a similar style when it comes to our film. During the beginning when we are telling the story of what happened in the cinema during the 1950's, we could use similar types of grainy footage to convey the past. By using an old fashioned soundtrack, perhaps a slow piano ballad subtly fading through in the background would help convey an older time period.
Typical shots used in handheld camera films:
The Blair Witch Project:
I found that whenever there was a character talking intensely to their hand-held camera, the angle would always be unflattering, extremely close up and wonky. This creates an uncomfortable feeling for the audience and instantly makes them feel on edge. We will use this type of unusual shot in our film to create the same emotions and make our audience feel uneasy along with the characters.
I also found that when characters were being interviewed, they never looked directly into the lens of the camera. This is a really important tip because it adds realism to the film. If the actor was to look directly into the lens during a conversation then I think that it would kill the mood and ruin the affect. The idea is that the hand held camera captures the mood of what is happening and the audience should almost forget that they are looking through a camera. They should feel like they are just a fly on the wall, experiencing the same situation as the characters.
Mise en Scene- Most of the Blair Witch is filmed in a dark, eerie forest and it made me realise that the location of the film plays a key part in building tension and setting the scene ready for something unusual and scary to happen. From this shot I like how she is talking to the camera and all you can see in the background is dull, grey broken sticks. It looks very cold and uninviting, making whatever she is saying seem 10 times more scary. The location almost replicates her emotions. In our film I think what would be really effective is having the last scene, where Michelle talks to the camera about everything that happened on location, set in a cold, forest, where there are lots of trees. I think that this would really convey to the audience how cold, scared and lost she is feeling in herself by placing her in an unusual, un-welcoming setting.
From this photo of the female character I also noticed that her costume is very bland and tatty. It shows how she is a typical student with little money and adds realism to the film. She is not dressed to stand out and I believe that the producers purposely did this to make it seem like she really is a student and not an 'actress.'
This is an important aspect to think about when it comes to choosing Michelle's costume. I deliberately casted Michelle because of her unique student look so we need to keep this look consistent by dressing her in something quite bland and un-expensive. This could be a pair of jeans and a denim jacket, something that fits in with what a typical student would wear but also sets her a part from them all because after all she is supposed to be different. Not every student would willingly want to create a documentary about a cinema. Her character is unique and therefore we need to convey that through her costume, whilst still making her look like she is a student and fits in with them.
The filming style we want to create:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWk9K4JXfpQ
This clip of the TV programme 'Supernatural' shows a very good example of how we would like to film our movie. The way this episode was filmed was very clever. They had somebody filming a character filming. The shots were then mixed, the audience get to watch the young girl filming with her camera but then they also get to see her footage from her camera. From the very beginning myself and Michelle were passionate about this way of filming and this Supernatural episode seemed like a great example to help our ideas develop. We realise that this way of filming will be very challenging, however, we think that it will work extremely well and make our film stand out for the right reasons!
This website offered me a lot of help, it listed lots of hand held movies to inspire us. http://www.imdb.com/list/G3azusUlYd4/
Lake Mungo
The second part I liked was the initial opening sequence to the film. The soundtrack was upbeat and everything appeared to be normal in the characters life. It wasn't until later as the story unfolded that the eerie soundtrack started. I think that this happy beginning made the film seem more realistic but also gave the audience an emotional attachment to the character. Then when something bad was revealed it had an even bigger shock as it was unexpected. In our short film, I think that the beginning part could do the same type of thing. We could show clips of people visiting the cinema happily, along with an upbeat soundtrack before we reveal that the cinema was responsible for 15 people going missing.
Chernobyl Diaries
Typical shots used in handheld camera films:
The Blair Witch Project:
I found that whenever there was a character talking intensely to their hand-held camera, the angle would always be unflattering, extremely close up and wonky. This creates an uncomfortable feeling for the audience and instantly makes them feel on edge. We will use this type of unusual shot in our film to create the same emotions and make our audience feel uneasy along with the characters.
I also found that when characters were being interviewed, they never looked directly into the lens of the camera. This is a really important tip because it adds realism to the film. If the actor was to look directly into the lens during a conversation then I think that it would kill the mood and ruin the affect. The idea is that the hand held camera captures the mood of what is happening and the audience should almost forget that they are looking through a camera. They should feel like they are just a fly on the wall, experiencing the same situation as the characters.
Mise en Scene- Most of the Blair Witch is filmed in a dark, eerie forest and it made me realise that the location of the film plays a key part in building tension and setting the scene ready for something unusual and scary to happen. From this shot I like how she is talking to the camera and all you can see in the background is dull, grey broken sticks. It looks very cold and uninviting, making whatever she is saying seem 10 times more scary. The location almost replicates her emotions. In our film I think what would be really effective is having the last scene, where Michelle talks to the camera about everything that happened on location, set in a cold, forest, where there are lots of trees. I think that this would really convey to the audience how cold, scared and lost she is feeling in herself by placing her in an unusual, un-welcoming setting.
From this photo of the female character I also noticed that her costume is very bland and tatty. It shows how she is a typical student with little money and adds realism to the film. She is not dressed to stand out and I believe that the producers purposely did this to make it seem like she really is a student and not an 'actress.'
This is an important aspect to think about when it comes to choosing Michelle's costume. I deliberately casted Michelle because of her unique student look so we need to keep this look consistent by dressing her in something quite bland and un-expensive. This could be a pair of jeans and a denim jacket, something that fits in with what a typical student would wear but also sets her a part from them all because after all she is supposed to be different. Not every student would willingly want to create a documentary about a cinema. Her character is unique and therefore we need to convey that through her costume, whilst still making her look like she is a student and fits in with them.
The filming style we want to create:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWk9K4JXfpQ
This clip of the TV programme 'Supernatural' shows a very good example of how we would like to film our movie. The way this episode was filmed was very clever. They had somebody filming a character filming. The shots were then mixed, the audience get to watch the young girl filming with her camera but then they also get to see her footage from her camera. From the very beginning myself and Michelle were passionate about this way of filming and this Supernatural episode seemed like a great example to help our ideas develop. We realise that this way of filming will be very challenging, however, we think that it will work extremely well and make our film stand out for the right reasons!
Monday, 5 August 2013
Audience Feedback.
Before creating our storyboards and final narrative, Michelle and I decided to carefully look at the feedback we recieved from our questionnaires. After all, the film is aimed for them, so it only makes sense to build our film around their ideas and what seems to scare them the most. We created some tables showing the results and then made a comment below explaining how we are going to use what our audience has said when creating our film.
How we will use this feedback in our short film:
How we will use this feedback in our short film:
How we will use this feedback in our short film:
1.
Which
one of the below are you most scared
of?
Options
|
Responses
|
The dark
|
4
|
The Supernatural
|
1
|
Aliens
|
0
|
Criminals (Murderer etc.)
|
5
|
Response:
This question
showed that the majority of people are most scared of criminals and their
reasoning behind it was mainly because it happens in real life and it’s the only thing on the list that could do them any harm. The fear
that received the least amount of votes was Aliens and to me this wasn't very
surprising. Aliens don’t post a real threat to humans as most people don’t even
believe they exist. This question has proven that more realistic things are
scarier.
How we will use this feedback in our
short film:
Since
realistic and true events seem to cause the most fear in people, we will make
our short film seem like a real documentary and use real facts relating to the
history of the cinema to scare people, as they know that the information they
are being told holds truth. Despite the supernatural not receiving many votes,
we are still going to incorporate a spooky factor into our short film. Howeve,
we will do this in a clever way, we want to just
give the audience questions, leaving them unanswered and left for the
imagination to decide. Making something seem as real as possible and not giving
much away can sometimes be much scarier than an obvious ghost story.
3.
In a dark situation what is the main
thing you would be scared of happening?
Response:
We found that
most people are scared of the unknown when in a dark situation. The idea of one
of your main senses being taken away seems to leave people with
the fear of not being able to identify who or what is near them and the threat
that this may cause to them. Another aspect that people said would scare them, is the fear of being hurt and something attacking them unexpectedly.
These fears are all very irrational but that is sometimes what drives them, the idea that it is probably never going to happen but there will always be that small doubt.
These fears are all very irrational but that is sometimes what drives them, the idea that it is probably never going to happen but there will always be that small doubt.
How we will use this feedback in our
short film:
In our short
film we are going to play on the idea of having that small doubt in the back of
your mind. The results showed that people do feel fear in the dark for the same
reasons and since we are filming in a dark cinema this is great, as we can use
their fear to our advantage. We could incorporate unusual noises in a dark scene,
perhaps a subtle rustling behind the seats, homing in on that feeling of the
unknown and what danger it could bring. We also want to challenge this idea and
the stereotype that comes along with horror films being filmed in the
dark. We will be filming some of the scenes in the cinema foyer, where there
will be natural sunlight. It may not look like a
conventional scary scene but we will use this to our advantage and still make it
scary. We want to create a new view on thriller films and what makes the build-up
scary. The darkness actually plays a small part in that build up and we want to use other aspects to create that scary vibe, such as sound effects, lighting and Mise en Scene.
4.
Are you more likely to watch a horror film that is, (Please
write yes beside your choice)
a) Based on a real life event
or
b) A work of fiction
Options
|
Responses
|
Based on a real life event
|
5
|
A work of Fiction
|
5
|
How we will use this feedback in our short film:
The results
showed that people equally enjoyed horror films based on real life events and
works of fiction. Using this result, we have decided that our film will combine the both. Some parts will be
made up and use actors to play our characters but our storyline will hold some levels of truth using the history. Hopefully we will be able to
include real members of staff from the cinema to play a small part in
our film. I think that this feedback has been very helpfull, sometimes when a horror is completely based on fact it can scare people away and turn them off watching it. However with the question of ‘Is this real or not?’
that our film will bring, it will give people that peace of mind to believe what they
want. I think that this will draw in a wider audience and not scare people away completely.
5. Do you find yourself more jumpy in?
a)
The day
or
b)
The night
Options
|
Responses
|
The
day
|
0
|
The
night
|
10
|
How we will use this feedback in our short film:
This question
seems quite obvious and Michelle and I undoubtedly predicted that the night
would recieve the most votes but we want to challenge this response. Most of our footage
is going to be shot in the day where it will be light out,
apart from the specific parts we film in the dark cinema. We want to challenge this stereotypical view of being scared
just in the night. We believe that in the day it can also be very scary and
sometimes the sunny atmosphere contrasted with an unusual setting,
uncomfortable characters and feeling on edge can actually be more frightening. The audience would not be expecting it, giving them the same blind feeling
they get in the darkness. To see if our challenging idea works, after filming
out short film we will show it to our same questionnaire audience and ask this question
again, to see if we get at least one person change their mind.
6.
Before something jumpy happens in a
film do you find yourself more scared when there is a soundtrack building the
tension or complete silence?
a)
Soundtrack
b)
Silence
Options
|
Responses
|
Soundtrack
|
6
|
Silence
|
4
|
How we will use this feedback in our short film:
The results
showed that most people find themselves more scared in a film when there is a
soundtrack building the tension. We do agree with this as it has
worked in many great horror films before, but because we want to make our short
film seem very realistic like a documentary, it may not work so well to use a
soundtrack this time. I think that sometimes silence can be the scariest thing. We have found
that most people don’t like the sensation of being in the dark, so we think
that if we take away their hearing too, by including no sound effects or
soundtrack for a long pause before something happens, it will make our audience
feel extremely on edge. When producing our film, we almost want to adapt our
audience’s conventional way of thinking. Hopefully with our challenging ideas we can achieve this.
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