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!