Location - Pool Scene

For the scene where the girl falls into a river, I needed a pool. Luckily my friend Iona had one in her house. It had dark tiles on the inside, which will make it easier to merge with the background shot of the river Thames. It also conveniently had a glass roof, so I could film a shot of the actress from above. I gave her a white nightdress to wear. I lit the scene with one battery light on the water, and one Angle poised lamp to highlight the her jumping in. We did a few test jumps in her swimwear, then did a few in her costume. I also experimented with the slow motion function on my camera which looked really cool.

Another Location

After recently going to St Thomas' hospital, I was amazed to see the perfect view of big ben, across the Thames. I decided it would be great for an establishing shot within the trailer. It would also add a more professional feel to the trailer. If I shoot it well, there wont be any modern buildings/cars etc, which would ruin the shot.

An old photo of Big Ben.

Actors So Far

Victim 1

The actress playing victim 1 is Sylvie Markes, she has large gloomyeyes and a look of innocence about her.

This is her in costume and with makeup. She has very little make-up to show her youth and virginal qualities. The red lipstick dramatizes the look. I also curled her hair slightly. Her dress has a timeless quality to it, and the colour goes really well with her pale skin tone.

The detective

The actor playing the detective is Savanh Phaophanit. He is handsome, and has a young and fresh but at the same time sophisticated look about him.

Savanh pictured above in costume and make-up. I made him look paler and styled his hair in a more formal manner. The detective is dressed elegantly in monochrome colours, to signify his ability to be impartial. He wears a velvet cape. He also holds a top hat in his hand.

His wife

His wife is played by Melissa Thompson, who is pretty and has an iconic, memorable face.

The Gravedigger

The grave digger is played by Eddie Markes. A great actor who can undertake cameo roles brilliantly.

Eddie in makeup and costume. A few days before filming I asked him not to shave, so that he would look less groomed. I used brown makeup on his face to make him look dirty, put black beneath his fingernails. Gave him black-outs for his teeth, roughed his eyebrow hair up, and darkened his eyes. He wears tatty clothing, almost as though its the clothing he's taken from the dead. He wears a delicately patterned embroidered waistcoat over a collarless shirt, with a cravat and a brown cape and finally a creased black hat. I gave him rosary beads, for being a gravedigger he would want to protect himself from evil spirits. His costume is predominantly made up of different shades of brown, to relate him to the earth at which he labors. He carries a lit wooden lantern.

Main Title Ideas

These are different versions of possible titles. Im hoping to superimpose the titles over a shot of an alley-way wall, or perhaps a dark scene with the murderer subtly in the background. Or perhaps over the killer's calling card (which is positioned above) falling onto a dead body. Or I could simply lay them over a textured image. The name is just a working title.

My initial idea was to have a misty scene, and then the mist slowly forming the title.

This version is the simplest. The mist seeps in to form the white letters.

This version is just an experiment, it was meant to be reminiscent of water.

The red version.

This version is the one I like the most, although the smoke needs to fade away at a slower pace. I think this is the most creepy version. I'm planning to work into it, to make it look more professional.

Soundtrack

This piece of music works really well for the beginning section of the trailer. It is minimal, and leaves you feeling cold. It is quite timeless, which works with the film being period. The very beginning is similar to the sound effect I created but more epic, and less electronic sounding. I put it to the footage I have filmed so far, and the timing was near perfect, I'll just have to make a few tweaks to move around some of the beats. The music later on becomes very sinister and eerie, and I have not yet decided whether I will use this section or not.

Poster Inspiration

The poster for sleepy hollow is very dramatic with the large moon which silhouettes the horseman. The twisted tree heightens the curve of the sphere. The moon creates a round border within the darkness which gives the impression of a vignette - relating the image to the film's period. The left is more of a teaser poster, the one below reveals the stars. Both posters have the gothic blood-red title situated towards the bottom. The tag line is bold and minimal. The atmosphere created is dark and misty. The position of the actors is nice, with the male facing the front, and the female on an angle. Looking back, a technique i could use for the two main characters of my film.

The Frankenstein poster is very simple, the main photo creates mystery and will be understood by people who know the story. Generating an active audience. The photos along the bottom, show all the main stars. The lightening font is quite cheesy but tolerable for the film is quite old now. It also relates to one of the key elements of the story.

Although the Jane Erye isn't gothic i really like the simplicity of the poster. I also like the pastel colours and the minimal font. The title font is in a sort of foreground, making the image look slightly 3D. Within 'Jane's' dress we see another characters face, it is quite subtle but effective.

Ident Plan 1

My opinion is that its too cheesy, like a bad 80's ident, the quality also isn't very good.

Titles??

This is a very rough idea of what my titles could look like. I tried to go for a similar style to the titles from the film Winter's Bone:

My ideal would be to have the titles drift onto the screen as though they were made of mist. The background being a dark cobbled alley. Perhaps with the shadow of the murderer on the wall. I'll need to find the right font, for this one is too cheap looking.

The titles for Sleepy Hollow are as though the words are ripped into the dark screen, allowing a bright light from behind to seep through the letters. If I could create a similar effect to this, i think my main title would really work.

Shooting Schedule

28/10/2010 - scene 1 - Victim descending stairs, victim approached by killer - Loc. Church Steps.

29/10/2010 - scene 2 - Detective, Gravedigger conversation - Loc. Graveyard.

19/12/2010 - Shot 11 - Girl fall into lake - Loc. Iona's pool.

01/01/2011 - Detective, Wife bedroom, wife taken - Loc. My House or Savahns house

- Detective Talking to friend - Loc. My house

02/01/2011 - Act 1 short shots - Detective running, Detective shooting, Killer standing in silhouette - Loc. Alleyway.

(03/4)/01/2011 - Act 2 + 3 short shots - Detective out of breathe, Detective pray, Detective w/ wife, wife look over shoulder, Wife dance in snow, wife blood on hands, Prostitute, pathologist, Killer's face, Killer walk, Killer grab axe, Killer put on glove

Pickups
29/10/2010 - scene 1 - Victim descending stairs, victim approached by killer - DAYLIGHT - Loc. Church Steps.

Shot List

Character Plans

Victim 1
The first character seen in the trailer is the young woman Sylvia. She’s alone, walking home from a day in the park. She has taken the short cut home, through a dark alley. She is very vulnerable in her large impractical dress. She is scared. I imagined her to look similar to Christina Ricci’s character in Sleepy Hollow. She should look ghostly and innocent.

The murderer
The murder is very mysterious; he wears a cape and hat, and leaves a calling card of a hanged skeleton. He only murders women. He knows exactly what he is doing; they are not random killings. We hardly ever see him, for he is too fast and strategic, it is as though we experiencing everything from the detective’s point of view.

The detective
The detective is the main character. He is quite young but clever, and mature for his age. He is handsome. He is similar to the character Johnny Depp portrays in Sleepy Hollow. He is very much in love with his wife Elizabeth. He has been working on the case of the serial killings for a while and is very close to solving them. However, when the killer makes his next victim the detective’s wife, the detective looses his ability to be objective and becomes captivated by getting revenge. I hope the audience will be able to relate to him, and trust him to solve the case.

His Wife
Elizabeth is mid-twenties. She is optimistic and intellectual. I imagine her to be attractive with long dark hair. I think the audience will be shocked and upset when she is kidnapped.

Animatic

This is my animatic without dialogue, it also gives you an example of how i want the sound to possibly be like.

Possible sound effect

This is a possible sound effect for the opening of the trailer, it is minimal and dark. It would be great for when the girl is walking towards the camera, to lift the energy. While trying it, i made each next sound effect louder or more echoey, to build suspense. The one problem however, is that it sounds too electronic, and this doesn't keep with the films period. It would disrupt the Mise en scene of the trailer.

Costume Research

Costume Research - Victorian Era

The second one is closer to the look im going for in terms of the women's costumes. It is quite a gothic silhouette, less flowing than the other examples, and more conservative and eerie.

Day for Night

As well as shooting at night, I am going to try the technique that lots of hollywood directors use. This avoids the film looking grainy, you don't have to use such a bright light, which can make a film look unrealistic, and it gives a nice early hours, twilight feel.

It can sometimes be very effective:

In Sleepy Hollow, they have used the same technique:

Set design - Alleyway Scene

For one of the shots, there is a patchy wooden wall on the right hand side. In order to make this wall more interesting, and involve it in the period feel of the film, I have made and got hold of some old victorian posters to litter it with.

In these screen shots from the film Little Dorrit 1988, the same poster technique has been used.

Recce - Act/Scene 1

Location Shots - Alleyway Scene

The location I have chosen is a small path which goes up a hill. It is surrounded by brick walls, or gothic railings. There is also a church and graveyard that surrounds it. The street lights are old fashioned too, they could be victorian. There is however a problem with the lighting, it is a large area to cover, and i think the camera will be following someone, i will have to light the scene very carefully. The street lights are very orange, and i want the scene to b more grey/blue, so i think the only way i can get round this will be in post-production.

Trailer – Outline

Act 1

The trailer opens with the sound bridge of heeled footsteps on the ground. A shot dissolves in, it shows a woman walking down an alley, and we see her from the front. She is wearing a big frilly whitish dress; the clip then fades back to black. In the black an old man appears holding a golden lantern. He is possibly a gravedigger for they are in a graveyard. He speaks, ‘On the seventh night, of the seventh day, the day that god rested from his toil…(during this part of speech we see the young handsome detectives face) …that’s when the killer strikes. The scene cuts back to the woman walking, she’s walking faster now, the camera is following her from behind, she stops for a second, looks to her right, and from the shadows to her left a white gloved hand grabs her neck and pulls her into the darkness, her scream echoes throughout. The shot cuts back to the handsome man in the same scene, exclaiming, ‘But that’s tonight’ ‘Then he hath already striked.’ Cut to black.

4 shots flash up, each a beat long:

1 = Detective running fast, camera following. 2= detective shooting, different scene. 3= A victim falling in to a lake. 4 = killer standing in alleyway, silhouetted.

Act 2

Camera opens on detective, he is speaking to a friend, he looks a wreck:

It was adequate before, (A beat of the pathologist and dead body, than a second clip of the detective with his wife) I could cope (a beat of him leaning against a wall, out of breath.) But now, (another beat of the girl looking back over her shoulder, smiling) Its personal. (Shaky (documentary style) camera clip of a flashback, the detective is asleep next to his wife, a dark figure abducts the woman, there are screams, the detective grabs his gun and shoots, but they are gone.

Break

Act 3

Act three is the build up of shots to the title.

First shot: a girl, possibly a prostitute, running from the camera.

2: The killer putting on his glove.

3: A shot of someone’s shoes walking slowly on grass or a croaky floorboard.

4: His wife dancing in the snow.

5: The killer grabbing an axe

6: The detective kneeling in a church, before the altar.

7: The killers half lit face

8: A burning house? If achievable..

9: His wife again, walking out of the darkness in her nightgown, blood on her hands.

Main title

At the end, over the titles, the killer sings a chilling nursery rhyme.

‘Coming soon...’

My Production company

I think the right studio for my film would be a small branch of a large company. For example, like Working title’s branch WT2, which produced films like Billie Elliot. This choice of Production Company is because the film is likely to be independent and British, and drawing on a gothic approach, and therefore a new type of film for British cinema. So it’s slightly experimental, and due to the genre, needs more money to be able to compete with the Hollywood blockbusters in the same category. The Money from the studio would be spent mainly on distribution and perhaps a few upcoming British actors.

The studio ident is very simple and replicable.

A good distributor for this film would be Lionsgate UK, a company known for investing in independent horror films. They distribute experimental films like Heartless 2009 and more high-end indie films like The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus 2009 and Harry Brown 2009.

Their current ident is very advanced and I wouldn't be able to create something as complex, for it is completely CGI; The camera zooms out of the mechanical workings of a clockwork structure, to reveal the title which sits in the clouds behind. However, their old ident is a lot more simple; The title is superimposed on top of some stars and it appears with some sparkling effects over the top. Perhaps the right distributors for my film should be an upcoming, new company, whose ident isn't perhaps as advanced as the other older and more successful companies.

Prezi on Audience

I have decided that the certificate for my film is going to 15. This is firstly because the film will probably be too frightening for children under the age. The certification will also encourage younger audiences to want to see it, they'll either try and sneak in to cinemas, or wait till the DVD release to watch it. People (especially children) are known to want what they cant have. The certificate also allows older audiences to be confident that what they are going to watch will be exciting and chilling, and therefore satisfy their need for releasing tension. A theory states that you enjoy the excitement of experiencing horror and fear, but are comforted by the fact that it cant physically effect you. You pursue pleasure, and avoid pain. As 15 to 25 is the average target audience for film, placing the age rating at 15 wont disrupt this. The film also appeals to a younger audience, so the rating is more sensible than an 18 rating.

Establishing an Audience

Teaser Trailer Notes

6 months before film is due to release. Very short – 30 to 90 seconds. Main trailers and theatrical trailers. They aim to reveal the name of the film, the release date and the actors or genre. Showcase best bits.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Starts with a close up. Less famous you are the more graphics you need. Titles which give you genre and narrative. Teaser faster paced, no sound bites. Scenic character then crime. Graphics very simple but effective. Action, punch moving car, location. Shots that appeared to link all showing the same thing, some sort of crime. Final shot focuses on a girl with a cross over of three other clips. The date is mentioned twice.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

Titles are Rippling, drifting. 2 different sizes, 2 diff colours. Asymmetrical. Fire over-laying, and going behind to suggest they’re 3d. Ash. Using specific clips to refer to the titles.

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest

A short frame of reference to give the feel of the film, in between other titles. Music particularly powerful. Weighting of the frame.

It is very short, 36 seconds. They’re selling the actors names, big, white on black. You start with an atmospheric sound and then the beat begins to pick up, which is synchronized to the woman’s walking. It focuses on the main woman a lot because she is the main aspect of the film. The music is very dramatic. There’s an unrelated shot, with all the others relating to the main scene of her walking.

Trailer notes

Sleepy Hollow

The trailer starts with the sound bridge of a wolf howling in the distace, then opens with an establishing shot of an old manor house, with a scarcrow and a spindley tree in the foreground. Right from the very start, the trailer is already representing the horror theme with these two elements. There are thuds and uneasy strings in the background. The colours are adark blue greys with a lot of black. We then see torches being either put or blown out in the darkness, which Builds suspense. We then witness the dramatic scene of a man running in the dark misty woods, a cut to the headless horseman and then the dicapitation og the running man. The studio icons are revealed with a flash of lightening and thunder. The introduction of the star, Johnny Depp, and development of the basic story line is the next stage. The music builds up progressivly. Here we also see Christina Ricci. The trailer uses lightening as a transition to different scenes. The first title is the directors name, Tim Burtion. The words of the title are revealed by a light shining from behind, this creates a silhouette in the darkness. There is also a mist floating in the air which is eluminated by the light. The star titles come next, and the music enhances their appearence. The trailer builds to a climax with shorter and shorter clips, untill the last clips shows an exploading windmill. The main title shown. It is a reverse of the others in order to stand out more, white on black. The white light shines through the cut out letters in the black background. The music here is just a loud groaning. The final draw to a close is of the horseman slicing his sword and Johnny Depp's character waking up to find he has just had a bad dream.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

The trailer starts with an American voiceover. It mentions that the film is from one of the most celebrated film makers of our time in order to generate an audience. There's then a mention of the most unforgettable love story of all time. It doesn’t slowly build up at the beginning but throws you straight into the dramatic clips from the start. You identify the plot right from the start with the mention of ‘Dracula.’ This is to generate excitement. The stars are next to be named and then finally the main title, which is as though its written in blood. There is no development in the trailer or possible climax; this is probably because it is an old trailer, which were generally more basic. Although the music does build to a climax and then end with long dramatic strings. The final shot is quite dramatic, of a woman jumping out of a window. She is silhouetted for dramatic effect. The trailer ends with the caption ‘love never dies.’ This caption is mysterious and provocative.

Mary Shelly's Frankenstein

The trailer starts with the dramatic sound bite ‘no-one need ever die.’ The titles are super-imposed onto dark rolling storm clouds. After a few clips of the monster’s creation a title reads ‘Be Warned.’ This warning excites horror lovers because it suggests that the film could be very frightening. It could also mean other things like ‘be warned, this film is very good.’ The music is full of impact throughout; it is made up of choric singers. There are many clips that show people screaming or crying in distress to emphasize the calamity of this film. The lightening, with flashes throughout the trailer relates to the main story, but is also a common feature in gothic horrors. The stars names are uncovered at the end, again on a storm cloud. There is a last sound bite, ‘Can you ever consider the consequences of your actions.’ This makes us reconsider the first soundbite, and makes the viewers begin to unfold elements of the story. The final title flashes all over the screen until it settles in the centre. It too is white on black. Finally some purple rolling clouds wrap up the trailer.

Sherlock Holmes

The trailer starts with the sound bridge of a dark droning noise. There is then an establishing shot followed by a sound bite. In response to this is the mention of 'Sherlock Holmes' and this sets off a series of flashing images, which are cut to the music. There are many transitions into different clips that use the fade through black. There are also many more sound bites. The music gradually builds but then draws to a close for the first revealing shot of Robert Downy Junior, smoking a pipe and saying something humorous. He then dives out the window and into the Thames, accompanied by increasingly suspenseful strings. The three studio icons then appear quickly, one after the other. This then sets off a series of short, dramatic clips and crashes form the music. The next few clips unveil exposition. The music slowly builds. This trailer uses a tom and jerry soundtrack (whereby every movement is matched by the music's rhythm pitch and meaning.) The music suddenly kicks in while the stars are exposed. This is a clip of the star with their name below in bold metallic letters. The next short phase is a series of clips whereby the diegetic sound effects created by the actors (for example someone thrown into a door or a gun shot) matches the music perfectly. This technique enhances both the music and the action and helps to build to yet another climax. Overall the trailer deals with many rises and falls and silences then eruptions of noise, and plays with different levles of pace until the title flies onto the screen in bold stone-like letters.

Interview with the Vampire

The trailer starts with the studio ident followed by a sound bridge and then a sound bite. Various clips follow this, with some vast spacey music. After this short introduction comes the voiceover. The voice reveals the name of the director and his most successful film to generate the audience of fans. The stars are shown but not mentioned as yet. As the voiceover comes to a shocking conclusion the music dramatically gets louder, fuller and more emotional. Thios change in music is accompanied by faster clips showing more shocking clips. There are flashes of people screaming for example. A less mysterious sound bite then occurs to give more narrative to the trailer. The trailer then builds up to include more of an exposition. After this climax comes to an end the stars are finally revealed with a shot showing their face and the mention of their names. The final title is large and red. It slowly enlarges. It is in caps lock with a small print subtitle at the bottom. It is centred within the frame and symmetrical.

From Hell

This trailer starts with the sound bride of Big Ben and then the establishing shot of 19^th century London at night. Asoundbite then continues. A shot of Johnny Depp is then revealed. Then unconventionally, the trailer uses modern electronic music, this could be to show that the film has an edgy side, its the unique selling point. With the new music the 20^th Century Fox logo then appears, and it is sped up, again creating the idea that the film is modern and different. The trailer speeds up various clips and slows down some as well. After this small introduction the voice over starts. It is a low and strong American voice. The different clips are transitioned together with some orange flames which move over the screen. There are also white flashes which help as transitions. The story is explained slightly as well as the exposition, untill a soundbite from the killers mouth, reveals something shocking. Johnny Depp's character however then disputes him. The music then builds up with a series of dramatic clips. ~The stars names are revealed, interspersed with action shots. The foint is red on black, and a gothic font. The titles dont look very proffesional. The final main title appears big on screen, and then zooms forward, it also shakes. It is very ameture.

Barry Lyndon

I chose this film because i love the costumes and the lighting. It is also the right sort of period. The trailer starts with an establishing shot, shoiwing some marching soldiers. The music is of the period and startts right at the beginning of the trailer. A voiceover then announces the director, the stars and the awards won by the film. Next comes the rerviews, over long action shots. The trailer then shifts from being in the battle scenes, to a dinner party. The music changes, becoming more orchestural. And more reviews are read out. After lots of beautiful scenic shots and some clips of fighting, the title appears still on screen. It is very simple and has a pretty decoration around it, as well as a drawing of a gun. The background is brown.

The Wolfam

The trailer starts with the establishing shot of a dark moonlit forest. A man holding a lantern is killed. A soundbite then comes in, outlining the story, and history of the story. When the wolfman's hand comes into shot, the music makes you jump. There is then a shot of the person giving the voiceover. After some clips and a build up of music, the studio ident then comes in. It is specially themed to the movie. We then experience some exposition. The music is simple, just an oboe and some strings. When the wolfman leaps onto the main man the music picks up again and the fast action shots follow. These clips get faster and faster. The release date then flashes on screen. It is white on black with a white aura. The trailer comes to and end with a build up of dramatic music, important clips and the final wolfman howling. The main title is quite simple, just white on black, capitalised font, with a moon in place of the 'O.' The title glows slightly. The last shot is of a girl ruinning from the wolf in the woods. Finally we see the stars names appear on the black screen.

Chosen Genre Conventions