Photos from our questionnaire filming task.

Today we asked random people to answer a few questions from our groups questionnaire, which we designed last week. We decided to deliver this questionnaire in a box-pop style. So, we filmed the whole questionnaire sessions. This was so we could accurately retain their answers and also show the data we found on a different digital platform. When we edit the footage, we will show the question which we asked the interviewees, by displaying credits on screen. Then we'll show their answers through HD film. We'll cut between each interviewees answers so that we won't repeat the same question over and over. This will keep the interview interesting to watch, and easy to follow.   

Before filming, I set the camera and tripod to face the person we were questioning. Each time I set the tripod to the same height as the interviewee. This was because our group wanted to maintain a formulae of the angles used in attempt to create a professionally delivered interview. As i was doing this my group member gave our short films synopsis to the interviewee and told them to read it and become familiar with it, because they will be answering questions based on our short film, and short films in general. 

Once the HD camera and tripod was set up and ready to record and the interviewee had become familiar with our short films synopsis, we were ready to film. Whilst I framed and recorded the shot, my group member read out a question which the interviewee then answered. Although we weren't going to include the question verbally in our final produt, the reason we recorded the question aswell as the answer was to make it as natural as possible for each interviewee so that they could reply confidently and it would seem like a normal conversation to them. We wanted to make the process as natural as possible to retain the best answers from the interviewees as we could.

 

Target Audience

To define an target audience age group, we need to research into Film Certificates to see which components within our film are acceptable for certain certificates. The British Board of Film Classification has guidelines in which we would have to abide by.

The Stereotypical Female Modern Vampire

The stereotypical vampire which is shown in films and tv shows are usually suave and sophisticated females. The reason why they were created is to idea of them to be seduce was purely invented to seduce the audience. This is because they inject the programme or film with a huge sex appeal. Horror and thriller films are usually directed towards a male audience, because of there gory and bloody scenes and explicit content. Because of this, directors and film makers, in recent films or tv shows, create the vampire to be a sexy and erotic girl, to add to the entertainment for men. The sexy female vampire is an iconic sex symbol for horror films. The female vampire seductively lures her victim into her clutches, but she doesn't want sex, but to feed on the victims blood. This leads to the male audience fantasizing if they were in the victims shoes, which sparks their imagination. The stereotypical female vampires are shown to be so seductive that by the time they are feeding from their victim, the victim doesn't really mind.

Most commonly, in a film which vampires are including in, the victim is mostly opposite sex to the vampire. Which adds to the sexual seduction which a vampire needs to portray, to be a normal stereotype. However, if the vampire is female, the victim can sometimes be also female. Because this has the same seductive affect on the male audience. This female vampire on a female victim also appeals to a wider audience. Because of this, in our film the victims of our Female vampire will be a boy and a girl, which will appeal to a general wider audience.

The most common female vampire normally is included in hammer horror films. They are usually pretty and have a busty chest, a glamorous figure, long silky hair and always, mysterious eyes. Although, throughout most of the films which they are in, they are portrayed to be glamorous and alluring, sometimes they have a flip side where they are portrayed to be evil monsters.

For example, In the film 'Van Helsing', Dracula's Brides are shown to be beautiful models, which is directed to the male audience because of the sex appeal. However, when they get angry and want to 'feed' on human blood, they turn in to flying monster bats, which add to the hammer horror element, quality and entertainment of the film.

MEET THE TEAM

Film Proposal (Detailed)

An 18 year old girl called Sophie, who once was a sweet christian girl, could now be an outcast to society, hated and feared by everyone who once loved and cared for her. But, why? Well nobody knows exactly why, not even herself. All that people know is that she has a "condition", which is always mentioned to excuse everything she has ever done wrong. She is strange and weird and twisted and violent, and not worth anyones time. 

After years of suspicion Sophie was a full time test subject at a high security mental institute, after being recognised as a suspected mentally ill patient when her two brothers mysteriously died in their family home. This was when Sophie was 16 years of age. After 1 year of constant testing, her "condition" has still not been diagnosed. So with underlying regret, she had to be released and without charge due to insufficient evidence in connection to her two brothers deaths.  

Sophie, is currently living in a bedsit and has been unemployed for just going on a year. In that time, the local police have received hundreds of mysterious complaints from neighbours in the bedsit, all pointing to Sophie. 

What is the mystery behind Sophie's condition. Why is she so different to everyone else. And how could everyone who once loved her, now wants nothing to do with her. A documentary crew travel to Sophie's hometown; interviewing Sophie herself, her family, friends and intermediate relations. After collecting information of Sophie, we knew what she was. A vampire; and we caught it  all on camera. 

Contextual Information

We have decided to undergo some contextual research into certain features within our film. We feel this will work well when applying this research into our production to create a more believable and well-thought out.

Introduction

Vampires are deadly. They can kill you, and they can also turn you into a vampire. In order to protect yourself from vampires you need to be able to identify them, so you can stay out of their reach.

Step One - Physical Features

• Vampires are charismatic, with a powerful aura that draws their victims to them. 
• They may be perceived as beautiful and desirable.
• Vampires have pale almost translucent skin.
• A vampire may have slightly longer than average canine teeth.
• Vampires do not cast a shadow.
• Vampires are usually thin.
• The skin of a vampire is cold to the touch.
• Vampires usually have extraordinary jumping and leaping ability.

Step Two - Unusual Behaviors

• Vampires may avoid sunlight.
• A vampire will get agitated and excited at the sight or smell of blood.
• Vampires have very sensitive noses, and may avoid strong smelling things like garlic or onion.
• Vampires only drink blood, so you won't see them eat human food.
• A vampire will avoid religious symbols, such as crosses, crucifixes, and holy water.

http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-recognize-a-vampire/

Images of 'Modern Vampire' ideas

Audience Questionnaire

This is a questionnaire I have produced to show that I have researched in depth and to put into practise some of the constructive criticism or added ideas to our film from the public.


Which genre's of film appeal to you to the most and why?

What do you think about short films opposed to long films?

Have you ever watched any short films? If so, where did you watch them?

What do you think to a storyline with a twist and why?

...................................................................................................................................................................

What do you think of our idea? 

Would you change any parts of our storyline?


Our story is about a girl who has a suspected mental illness, but it has never been diagnosed. Mysterious events keep happening around her. A film crew follow her and look into her life and eventually find out it is more than a mental illness. She tries so hard to be normal, she actually thinks she is. But infact, she's a supernatural being.

Initial Ideas

After analysing several short films, the most popular genre used was horror, thriller and action. These genres are appealing to short film makers because it is easy to show the events in detail and overall, to create a very short storyline but with a lot of impact and action, rather than trying to include all the dense information and events which are needed to make other genre films, for example, chick flicks and crime films.    

From this, we both decided the most appealing genre to us would be thriller. We felt this would be appropriate was we could conform to the conventions easily still with our financial and locational constraints. Our initial idea is to create a documentary based film where it would be easy to create a very concise line, introducing characters and following a simple storyline which is easy to follow. Also, we feel that by creating a realistic view in a documentary form would help to add impact on the audience and create a great shocking film. 

Our Company Logo

This is our company logo I created on Photoshop. We felt we using a moon within the logo would work well by creating an eerie atmosphere and the use of dark colouring creates mystery and drama; all conventional to our chosen genre. I feel this logo links in well with the theme of our production.

We have taken inspiration from these film company logos as we found these most appealing

Our Initial Brief Storyline

An 18 year old girl named Alice, over the years has become an outcast from society because of her 'condition'. Her'condition' has always been used as an excuse for the misery which has followed her  and throughout her life. After years of suspicion, Alice was a full time test subject at a mental institute; after being suspected to be mentally ill by doctors. After a year of constant testing, she was released due to an unclear diagnosis. Nobody knew what her condition was. 
A group of students for a media studies assignment, decide to follow and interview Alice, her family, friends and intermediate relations in her community. After following Alice, the media students find out something about Alice which they did not expect. Alice is a Vampire and they caught it all on camera. 

Genre Research

Both myself and Josh have determined that we want to create a Thriller film. We decided that we wished for our film to be a Thriller as we both have the same interest in this genre. Also, we feel that a thriller/realistic horror would be essentially more professional and believable due to our financial, locational and dramatic constraints. Furthermore, during our film analysis we have seen the elements which are applied in both a short film and elements which are conventional to our chosen genre. We feel this will be extremely helpful during the production of  our film.

In Depth Research of Thriller

Thriller and Suspense Films: These are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations, with similar characteristics and features.

If the genre is to be defined strictly, a genuine thriller is a film that rentlessly pursues a single-minded goal - to provide thrills and keep the audience cliff-hanging at the 'edge of their seats' as the plot builds towards a climax. The tension usually arises when the main character(s) is placed in a menacing situation or mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible. Life itself is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspecting or unknowingly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation. Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy.

Thriller-Horror Sub-genre

Another closely-related genre is the horror film genre (e.g., Halloween (1978)), also designed to elicit tension and suspense, taking the viewer through agony and fear. Suspense-thrillers come in all shapes and forms: there are murder mysteries, private eye tales, chase thrillers, women-in-danger films, courtroom and legal thrillers, erotic thrillers, surreal cult-film soap operas, and atmospheric, plot-twisting psychodramas. Thrillers keep the emphasis away from the gangster, crime, or the detective in the crime-related plot, focusing more on the suspense and danger that is generated.

Characters in thrillers include convicts, criminals, stalkers, assassins, down-on-their-luck losers, innocent victims (often on the run), prison inmates, menaced women, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, cops and escaped cons, fugitives, private eyes, drifters, duplicitious individuals, people involved in twisted relationships, world-weary men and women, psycho-fiends, and more. The themes of thrillers frequently include terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder.

I wanted our film to be presented in a documentary style; to tell our story quickly and introduce different characters surrounding the protagonist. I felt that this would be an easy and effective way to create a believable storyline. To me, it is important to make a thriller film as realistic as possible and to integrate a horror link would make the film more intense and scarier due to the fact its realistic content could possibly happen; this would have a disturbing affect on the audience. I found my inspiration from the 2012 film, "The Devil Inside", a documentary style film  about a woman who becomes involved in a series of exorcisms during her quest to determine what happened to her mother; a woman who murdered three people as a result of being possessed by a demon.

Here is a clip from "The Devil Inside" which I feel shows some good camera techniques and tricky shots to create the "documentary style"

Short Film Analysis (5 minutes)

This is a short thriller film I found on Blackbox TV; a web series on YouTube which specialises in Thriller and Horror genres. I am analysing this film to pick out key features which are vital in film production; such as cinematography, mise-en scene and sound. Ultimately this analysis will enable me to apply each feature used to create a good and professional five minute film of my own.

This is an establishing shot which immediately sets the scene for the film. The use of long shot again establishes the characters and their role. The woman has a paramedic jacket on to show her role in the film. Furthermore, in terms of mise-en-scene the subdued, dark and contrasting colours gives a sense of eeriness in the tone; conventional to its thriller genre. 

In this shot, the long shot / over shoulder shot creates another sense of establishment,  presenting a normal homely scene. The use out focusing the foreground image creates a further sense of mystery which links well to the genre.

The same then shot brings the foreground image into focus and  reveals a hand. The use of mise-en-scene using blood is again iconic to the genre and overall creates suspense.

This establishing shot works well in creating a 'meanwhile' sense to the film, again adding further mystery. the use of mis-en-scene too, creates innocence as the colour scheme is bright and pink, connoting a sense of a young girls bedroom. Contrasting both this scene of innocence and the mystery again helps to trigger suspense.

This close-up shot works well in introducing a new character and also helps to show emotion in the characters face, which in terms of mise-en-scene works well too in creating the mysterious tone due to his scared state. Furthermore, the colour tone used again creates a sense of purity within the characters face, with the lighting shining on his face.

This shot focusies on an eyeline view, where we can see where the character is looking. This is effective in creating a sense of mind state, where the mise-en-scene creates a muderous/dangerous/horroresque scene, with use of blood and demonic facial expressions which are conventional to its genre.

This is a shot-reverse-shot where we can then begin to see again more dramatic facial expressions with this close up. gaian the mise-en-scene shows good solid acting where we can see a sense of fear; conventionato the thriller genre. The lighing used connotes a sense of mystery and danger, with darkness and conmtrasts greatly with the pink bedroom in the previous shot.