Although the majority of our film opening will hopefully use improvisation from our protagonist we felt it was important to create a guideline of what we wished her to say to make sure we definitly portrayed the message and suspense we wished too. We do not use a conversational script for our opening piece and there is only one character speaking - panicking to herself. We used swear words which uses verisimilatude as it is the most likely reaction in a real life situation. Alot of the script however is directions for the type of movement we wished for and direction of background noises that are equally an important part of the plot (for example doors slamming in the back ground).
Final Script Draft
Thursday 25 November 2010
Monday 15 November 2010
Emmaline Gordon Resit - Organization of Actors, Props and Locations
Organization of Actors
Now our leading protagonist female actress has been established we are now set the task of finding and confirming dates that she is able to attend, these must be similar dates that our two chosen 'stalkers' must be available to film on too. However before this it is important that we have consent forms signed by the actor and actress’s parents as the actors are all under the age of 18. This was not a problem and they were all given permission without any issues from parents or guardians. We set filming dates that we wished our actors and actresses to meet at. The final date we chose 2 dates to film on the 19th and 21st of January 2010. By choosing dates close to each other that our actors and actress' were available it guaranteed that the type of day would be similar, (for example cold weather and darkness of the evening). We agreed to meet at 4pm at 6 Nash Drive as this was a convenient time for all our actors. It also meant that we were filming at the same time of night on both occasions to establish continuity. 6 Nash Drive was my property and a central location to all places we had chosen to shoot our horror. This was convenient as we did not have to carry equipment far and it was also an area that we located to shoot. This meant our actors would have somewhere to wait when waiting to film rather than in the cold.
Props
The most important props to organise we decided were the costumes for our actors. There are 3 characters that we are choosing to film on the 19th and 21st. One of them being our female protagonist with which we chose to dress in a white coat to connote her innocence. Our team member Jo offered to bring her coat so we kept this it our meeting area until the actress arrived. The 2 other actors were dressed in black coats and they were instructed to bring their own if possible. Both Keegan and Matt did so, all 3 actors were already dressed in black trousers as we asked. For Louise (the protagonist) it was to create the affect that she was on her way home from work and was having an ordinary day-to-day life. Other props that were necessary for us to organise were house keys that we would be shooting a close up of at the end of the piece. For this we used my own keys as they needed to be able to open to front door to the home we chose to film - which was 6 Nash Drive.
Other props needed was make-up in order to create the look of bruising on ourselves 9as we chose our self for the flashes).For the other flashes we used many props, for example we used a bath filled with red hair dye to create a blood effect. We also used house-hold brown tape to tie out our mouths and arms for the quick flashes in the attic. The filming of these flashes happened on separate occasions as we gathered them when necessary, for the props used when filming with the actors once we had established a filming schedule we organise and held the props in a small cupboard until the filming day where we got them out when necessary.
Locations
All the locations we chose to film in were central the household we wished to use for the final attack. This not only made the filming seem continuous it meant that the different locations were not too far apart so that travelling would not mean a unnatural change in lighting. We did plan for the opening to get darker lit - due to the time of year and the effect we wished to achieve. The household we chose to film in was convenient with a lightly painted bedroom to connote the characters innocence. It also had a dark hallway that connoted the character being of a negative 'dark' nature. Another location we chose to film our opening is was a woodland area, which is a typical convention of horror films. It creates suspense as a perpetrator would be easily hidden behind tree's and woodland usually indicates a lack of civilisation leaving the victim utterly alone with her attacker. The lack of leaves on the tree show automatically that is it winter time which connotes the cold and this portrays fear - another code and convention of a horror film. Based on all of this we felt that the woodland would be a good place to film our opening to create the suspense we wished. For similar reasons we chose some run down garages to film in, also connoting the isolation of the victim. It is also a place again where perpetrators can wait undetected in the shadows between each garage - there is an example of this in our film. By using a place seemingly run down and creates a sense of abandonment which creates suspense and mystery. It brings up questions as to why the place may have been abandoned. If there had been previous incidents occurring there before? All of which are left down to the viewers interpretation and may project to an individuals specific fear. The final main place we chose to film for our protagonists journey home from work was a street - showing she is nearing civilisation which creates continuity as she is about to arrive home. However by the time she has reached this street is it dark and there is no one around. This again connotes abandonment and her vulnerability to the situation she is in as someone is following her. The street in actual life was In fact right by her home so that the piece used verisimilitude to its full extent. The last location used was for some of our flashes that did not involve the main protagonist, for these we used an attic and bathroom. The bathroom contradicts horror conventions as it is an ordinary household room which contrasts so greatly to what appears to be blood and a female lying unconscious in the bath. This makes the scene uncomfortable for a viewer which is a desire in the opening of a film in the horror genre. By using an attic the opening conforms to typical conventions as an attic is generally the darkest coldest place in the house. It is a room out of reach to the rest of the household and again connotes abandonment and helplessness for the victims. The attic we used specifically had beams that could be used to tie the victims to them showing how they are being held hostage. It is not immediately obvious in the flashes that the place chosen to film is an attic as it in important to not give away the plot summary too much and the girls should infact have been held hostage in just a room in the abandoned house, but we felt that the attic used accurately denoted the darkness and lack of civilisation we aimed to achieve.
Now our leading protagonist female actress has been established we are now set the task of finding and confirming dates that she is able to attend, these must be similar dates that our two chosen 'stalkers' must be available to film on too. However before this it is important that we have consent forms signed by the actor and actress’s parents as the actors are all under the age of 18. This was not a problem and they were all given permission without any issues from parents or guardians. We set filming dates that we wished our actors and actresses to meet at. The final date we chose 2 dates to film on the 19th and 21st of January 2010. By choosing dates close to each other that our actors and actress' were available it guaranteed that the type of day would be similar, (for example cold weather and darkness of the evening). We agreed to meet at 4pm at 6 Nash Drive as this was a convenient time for all our actors. It also meant that we were filming at the same time of night on both occasions to establish continuity. 6 Nash Drive was my property and a central location to all places we had chosen to shoot our horror. This was convenient as we did not have to carry equipment far and it was also an area that we located to shoot. This meant our actors would have somewhere to wait when waiting to film rather than in the cold.
Props
The most important props to organise we decided were the costumes for our actors. There are 3 characters that we are choosing to film on the 19th and 21st. One of them being our female protagonist with which we chose to dress in a white coat to connote her innocence. Our team member Jo offered to bring her coat so we kept this it our meeting area until the actress arrived. The 2 other actors were dressed in black coats and they were instructed to bring their own if possible. Both Keegan and Matt did so, all 3 actors were already dressed in black trousers as we asked. For Louise (the protagonist) it was to create the affect that she was on her way home from work and was having an ordinary day-to-day life. Other props that were necessary for us to organise were house keys that we would be shooting a close up of at the end of the piece. For this we used my own keys as they needed to be able to open to front door to the home we chose to film - which was 6 Nash Drive.
Other props needed was make-up in order to create the look of bruising on ourselves 9as we chose our self for the flashes).For the other flashes we used many props, for example we used a bath filled with red hair dye to create a blood effect. We also used house-hold brown tape to tie out our mouths and arms for the quick flashes in the attic. The filming of these flashes happened on separate occasions as we gathered them when necessary, for the props used when filming with the actors once we had established a filming schedule we organise and held the props in a small cupboard until the filming day where we got them out when necessary.
Locations
All the locations we chose to film in were central the household we wished to use for the final attack. This not only made the filming seem continuous it meant that the different locations were not too far apart so that travelling would not mean a unnatural change in lighting. We did plan for the opening to get darker lit - due to the time of year and the effect we wished to achieve. The household we chose to film in was convenient with a lightly painted bedroom to connote the characters innocence. It also had a dark hallway that connoted the character being of a negative 'dark' nature. Another location we chose to film our opening is was a woodland area, which is a typical convention of horror films. It creates suspense as a perpetrator would be easily hidden behind tree's and woodland usually indicates a lack of civilisation leaving the victim utterly alone with her attacker. The lack of leaves on the tree show automatically that is it winter time which connotes the cold and this portrays fear - another code and convention of a horror film. Based on all of this we felt that the woodland would be a good place to film our opening to create the suspense we wished. For similar reasons we chose some run down garages to film in, also connoting the isolation of the victim. It is also a place again where perpetrators can wait undetected in the shadows between each garage - there is an example of this in our film. By using a place seemingly run down and creates a sense of abandonment which creates suspense and mystery. It brings up questions as to why the place may have been abandoned. If there had been previous incidents occurring there before? All of which are left down to the viewers interpretation and may project to an individuals specific fear. The final main place we chose to film for our protagonists journey home from work was a street - showing she is nearing civilisation which creates continuity as she is about to arrive home. However by the time she has reached this street is it dark and there is no one around. This again connotes abandonment and her vulnerability to the situation she is in as someone is following her. The street in actual life was In fact right by her home so that the piece used verisimilitude to its full extent. The last location used was for some of our flashes that did not involve the main protagonist, for these we used an attic and bathroom. The bathroom contradicts horror conventions as it is an ordinary household room which contrasts so greatly to what appears to be blood and a female lying unconscious in the bath. This makes the scene uncomfortable for a viewer which is a desire in the opening of a film in the horror genre. By using an attic the opening conforms to typical conventions as an attic is generally the darkest coldest place in the house. It is a room out of reach to the rest of the household and again connotes abandonment and helplessness for the victims. The attic we used specifically had beams that could be used to tie the victims to them showing how they are being held hostage. It is not immediately obvious in the flashes that the place chosen to film is an attic as it in important to not give away the plot summary too much and the girls should infact have been held hostage in just a room in the abandoned house, but we felt that the attic used accurately denoted the darkness and lack of civilisation we aimed to achieve.
Wednesday 10 November 2010
Emmaline Gordon Re-sit Film Brief
Our horror film is based around the idea of stalking and victims being followed. At the beginning of the film the first victim is seen on a journey home towards work where she is being mysteriously followed by a UN-be known number of antagonistic villains. These villains have somehow got into her home where we witness her get attacked in her own bedroom. The idea of using female victims uses the Male Gaze Theory. This theory means that ultimately the plot of the horror film is viewed through the eyes of a man where woman a sexual objects of obsession. This concurs because as the plot develops we establish that a number of women are experiencing the same attack that the woman endured at the opening of our film. Women are frequently used in horrors as victims because they are stereotyped as the in superior sex when it comes to strength and the ability to defend them. There are examples of this in prior films such as 'The Descent' - where the plot evolves around 6 females that get attacked whilst going caving. Females show a weaker nature to males that make the audience feel even more uncomfortable as the character has less ability to defend themselves against perpetrator. These are all largely the reasons that we are using females as our victims. The names of the 6 female characters are 'Charlie', 'Trina', 'Rachel', 'Phillipa', 'Daisy' and the main protagonist 'Enya' who's story is followed from the beginning of the film. All 6 of the females are targeted by a group of deranged scientists (non-of which's names are ever learnt by the audience to provide a sense of unknown and unfamiliarity to the audience, names are typically comfortable to the viewer which is the opposite effect desired). These scientists are fixated on the idea of creating the 'perfect' individual. The female targets were used because they all held a specific trait or attribute that the scientists wanted as a part of their perfect-being. They are one-by one stalked and held captive in an abandoned house in the middle of the country side. The location of the house is not made particularly known in the plot but the audience is aware that it is far from civilisation which creates an even 'creepier' affect as help is not close at hand for the victims; this is a typical trait in horror films and creates a sense of abandonment.
As the 6 girls come to terms with why each of them are here they one by one get taken off to torture. It begins with 'Rachel' being dragged out of the room where all of the girls have been taken hostage without the rest of the girls being aware what is happening to her. They expect her to return later on or in the next day but when she does not it begins to raise suspicion as to what has happened to her. Next to be taken is 'Trina' who they hear scream and cry loudly for hours after as the other 4 girls begin to panic. They begin to devise and plan their escape the avoid the same fait they believe the other 2 girls have met. Later when one of the 3 scientists come to check on them and feed them water as their hands are chained behind them 'Daisy' head butts him. The male antagonist lies on conscious on the floor and 'Enya' realises her chains are loose. She frees herself and stamps on the scientists head, as he appears to bleed the audience is made aware that he has been killed. 'Enya' escapes the room and searches desperately around the house for the keys to the other 3 girls chains. She finds 2 and runs back towards the room the girls are being held hostage. It is establishes the keys unlock 'Charlie' and 'Phillipas' chain and as they hear the sound of someone moving around on the floor above them 'Daisy' begs them to leave her and escape. 'Enya' refuses to give up searching for her key and as they near escape she has to hide under a cabinet in a desperate attempt to hide from the scientists, whilst doing this she finds another key under some floor boards. They hear 'Daisy' scream and as they try to get back to her 'Phillipa' is attacked. The perpetrator however does not se 'Enya' and 'Charlie' and they try to find their way back to free 'Daisy' who they find dead still tied to her post. 'Charlie' and 'Phillipa' then set their target to finding the other girls who were previously taken from them. When they eventually find them they find 'Rachel's body amputated and 'mangled' almost inhuman, 'Trina' appears to have her legs missing but when she hears the girls voices they are sure they see her fingers move. 'Phillipa' is barely conscious but still whole. They try to speak to 'Trina' who seems to slightly regain consciousness who begs them to get out and leave them but they refuse. The two girls are then attacked by the other 2 perpetrators and tied to the 2 remaining beds. Through their struggle to fight back they are still ultimately over come and 'Enya' helplessly watches as the attackers kill 'Charlie'. Luckily somehow 'Enya' gets free and kicks one of the scientists in the back of the head. She struggles backwards and grabs a chainsaw so stop the scientists attacking her. After a struggle she ultimately kills one of the scientists and knocks another out although the audience are not aware he is still alive. She then escapes after being re-attacked by the perpetrator who is in fact still alive but defeats her attacker.
We will use a lot of typical codes and conventions that are regularly seen and used in horror films to create the tension and fear we desire. For example we will mainly use darkly lit rooms and use colours such as reds, black and browns. This will be to make the set creepier and more intense for the audience to watch as everything isn't as clear when the lighting is dimmed which emphasises the audience's fear of the 'unknown'. Our narrative will be closed as there will be a ultimate conclusion at the end of the horror - that 'Enya' escapes. Vladimir Propps theory can partly be applied to our horror. 'Enya' plays the hero as she is ultimately the character that makes the decision to try and save the other girls sacrificing her life for them. The Villain is played by the scientists as they are the films main perpetrators and 'block the hero's quest' the quest in the circumstance being freedom. The Donor can be witnessed in the character of 'Daisy' as she provides a metaphorical object being their escape. She asks the other girls to leave her ultimately providing them with the gift of being guiltless in the quest to save their own lives. The helper may be perceived through the character of 'Charlie' who aids 'Enya' throughout the whole plot and assists her in her quest to escape and save the other girls lives. Subjects such as the Princess and the False Hero are portrayed not through characters however. The false hero which would be assigned the role of disrupting the Hero's success is merely filled with the role of the large home and area in which they are being held and is partly filled by the role of the scientists whose names we never learn. The role of the Princess - the reward for the hero is effectively 'Enyas' freedom and life. Todorovs theory of Equilibrium is also implied in our horror as the plot begins with typical lives of the 6 females. A disruption occurs which is their attack and abduction, for Enya to disruption is resolved and she fights and successfully saves her life, although it can be argued that the plot does not enter the 're-equilibrium' as their lives are heavily disrupted and the other 5 females lives are not saved.
As the 6 girls come to terms with why each of them are here they one by one get taken off to torture. It begins with 'Rachel' being dragged out of the room where all of the girls have been taken hostage without the rest of the girls being aware what is happening to her. They expect her to return later on or in the next day but when she does not it begins to raise suspicion as to what has happened to her. Next to be taken is 'Trina' who they hear scream and cry loudly for hours after as the other 4 girls begin to panic. They begin to devise and plan their escape the avoid the same fait they believe the other 2 girls have met. Later when one of the 3 scientists come to check on them and feed them water as their hands are chained behind them 'Daisy' head butts him. The male antagonist lies on conscious on the floor and 'Enya' realises her chains are loose. She frees herself and stamps on the scientists head, as he appears to bleed the audience is made aware that he has been killed. 'Enya' escapes the room and searches desperately around the house for the keys to the other 3 girls chains. She finds 2 and runs back towards the room the girls are being held hostage. It is establishes the keys unlock 'Charlie' and 'Phillipas' chain and as they hear the sound of someone moving around on the floor above them 'Daisy' begs them to leave her and escape. 'Enya' refuses to give up searching for her key and as they near escape she has to hide under a cabinet in a desperate attempt to hide from the scientists, whilst doing this she finds another key under some floor boards. They hear 'Daisy' scream and as they try to get back to her 'Phillipa' is attacked. The perpetrator however does not se 'Enya' and 'Charlie' and they try to find their way back to free 'Daisy' who they find dead still tied to her post. 'Charlie' and 'Phillipa' then set their target to finding the other girls who were previously taken from them. When they eventually find them they find 'Rachel's body amputated and 'mangled' almost inhuman, 'Trina' appears to have her legs missing but when she hears the girls voices they are sure they see her fingers move. 'Phillipa' is barely conscious but still whole. They try to speak to 'Trina' who seems to slightly regain consciousness who begs them to get out and leave them but they refuse. The two girls are then attacked by the other 2 perpetrators and tied to the 2 remaining beds. Through their struggle to fight back they are still ultimately over come and 'Enya' helplessly watches as the attackers kill 'Charlie'. Luckily somehow 'Enya' gets free and kicks one of the scientists in the back of the head. She struggles backwards and grabs a chainsaw so stop the scientists attacking her. After a struggle she ultimately kills one of the scientists and knocks another out although the audience are not aware he is still alive. She then escapes after being re-attacked by the perpetrator who is in fact still alive but defeats her attacker. We will use a lot of typical codes and conventions that are regularly seen and used in horror films to create the tension and fear we desire. For example we will mainly use darkly lit rooms and use colours such as reds, black and browns. This will be to make the set creepier and more intense for the audience to watch as everything isn't as clear when the lighting is dimmed which emphasises the audience's fear of the 'unknown'. Our narrative will be closed as there will be a ultimate conclusion at the end of the horror - that 'Enya' escapes. Vladimir Propps theory can partly be applied to our horror. 'Enya' plays the hero as she is ultimately the character that makes the decision to try and save the other girls sacrificing her life for them. The Villain is played by the scientists as they are the films main perpetrators and 'block the hero's quest' the quest in the circumstance being freedom. The Donor can be witnessed in the character of 'Daisy' as she provides a metaphorical object being their escape. She asks the other girls to leave her ultimately providing them with the gift of being guiltless in the quest to save their own lives. The helper may be perceived through the character of 'Charlie' who aids 'Enya' throughout the whole plot and assists her in her quest to escape and save the other girls lives. Subjects such as the Princess and the False Hero are portrayed not through characters however. The false hero which would be assigned the role of disrupting the Hero's success is merely filled with the role of the large home and area in which they are being held and is partly filled by the role of the scientists whose names we never learn. The role of the Princess - the reward for the hero is effectively 'Enyas' freedom and life. Todorovs theory of Equilibrium is also implied in our horror as the plot begins with typical lives of the 6 females. A disruption occurs which is their attack and abduction, for Enya to disruption is resolved and she fights and successfully saves her life, although it can be argued that the plot does not enter the 're-equilibrium' as their lives are heavily disrupted and the other 5 females lives are not saved.
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