28/02/2012 - Sixth Set of Shots

Here are a few images of Shannon and Chelsea during the shooting of the outside scenes. As you can see Shannon is dressed in a warm cardigan to represent her comforting personality and to give the impression that she is a concerned character. In contrast, Chelsea is shown to be dressed in jeans and a dark jumper and coat. This implies that she is a colder character and perhaps less comforting and caring about her friend, Lily.

Below are a few clips from the sixth time of filming and key events which we could potentially include in the trailer.

Outside Clips

Cupboard Scene

Night time (First Scene)

Stair Scene

27/02/2012 - Adding Sound to the Clips

Having filmed all parts of the trailer we decided that it was time to create a rough cut and put all of the clips so far, whether they were accurate or not, together so that we could see what was good and what needed to be improved. We used MoviePlus X3 which we found difficult to use as we had to convert some of the files so that they were compatible with this programme. We then needed to add the sound that we had recorded and music that we had researched to see how it would fit and if it was suitable. 

Once we had learnt how to use the programme it became easy and all we had to do was click 'Add Media' and select the sound file that we wanted, just like we had done for the clips for the clips that we used. We then dragged it to the audio section and cut and pasted it where it was needed to fit the trailer. 

This screenshot demonstrates how once we had mastered how to input the audio, we were able to add more audio and use three types (music, natural sounds e.g. wind and speaking). By adding the music to the trailer, tension is built and especially at the end of the trailer, the music is more dramatic and helps reinforce the 'jumpy' aspects if the trailer. 

As we decided to use Krzysztof Penderecki- Concerto Grosso No. 1 in C Minor we needed to find a way to convert the track that we had been listening to on YouTube so we used a free converting website called ZAMZAR which is easy to use as the downloaded song is sent to your email. 

                                                                                                        

27/02/2012 - The Closet Scene - Research - Nosterfatu

For the remaining scene in our trailer, we see Lily held hostage in the closet of what assume to belong to her abductor. This scene is perhaps the most pivotal part of the chapter as we take the trailer more seriously and see that Lily is in great danger. The film 'Nosterfatu' is an early 1920's horror film about a vampire a.k.a Count Dracula. In the film, there is a scene which is shown in the trailer for it of the vampire walking down a stair case but all you can see is his silhouette against the wall. For our trailer we have used a similar approach and made our villain walk up the stairs in dark clothing with an eery orange light which reinforces there terror and horror that he is about to bring to the film.  

Here is our the clip from our trailer which was influenced by a similar scene created in the film 'Nosterfatu'. It is menacing and we feel that it will suspense as we show this scene and a clip of Lily struggling to a song that makes it appear to be 'jumpy' for the audience. 

24/02/2012 - Rough Cut

This is our first rough cut for our film trailer that we are producing. We evaluated the progress that we have made and have discussed a few of the issues that we had. As a group we are unhappy with this as we feel that it is more like a short film rather than a trailer for a full length film. The only section of the work that we have created so far that we think is most likely a trailer is the final scene where Lily is being held hostage by her abductor in a closet and is awaiting his arrival. We think that the trailer is too longer and therefore we need to cut the clips that we use and use more significant snapshots rather than irrelevant scenes e.g walking. The acting in our trailer is not serious enough and therefore tension is hardly built. A major issue that we had with editing was that the music did not fit the trailer and the sound effects that we had recorded were not of good quality. 

Our Media teacher and friend then watched the rough cut and gave us critiques as well as improvements that we could use to make our trailer better quality. They said that we should make it shorter and use more important moments. We should also include more jumpy parts as this will increase the tension for the audience. Reaction shots will be needed as well to reinforce the thriller genre and we can do this by zooming in and out on a character as they realise what is happening or change the position of the camera to show power. We will aim to use different shots to frame the picture of use a 1/2 shot to film a conversation. In the final scene, which we are most pleased with, we will ensure that our actress is scene to be struggling more to make it appear more realistic. 


We will be re-filming the entire film trailer on Monday the 27th February. Here is our timetable for filming that day: 

17/02/2012 - Fifth Set of Clips

Here are the fifth set of shots that we filmed on Dartford Heath instead of our usual location in Hartley as it is nearer and easy to access whenever we need to film. It is an open area and looks very similar to the field in which we have filming so there is continuity in the location. We filmed a scene in one of the two girls' bedrooms where they are trying to find Lily and Shannon is desperately work hard trying to work out the mystery. Chelsea on the other hand is convinced that Shannon is overreacting and tries to reassure her that Lily is probably at home hungover. We then filmed on the heath, the two girls walking the day after the party and finding Lily's phone. When finding the phone they receive a call and a text message from who they believe to be the abductor. We filmed the two girls sitting on a bench behind some trees to create the effect that they are being watched. The weather was sunny and not too windy for filming so it made it easy to capture what was happening, although we did not have the sound equipment so the quality of sound is not great.

17/02/2012 - Character Analysis - Chelsea & Shannon

Shannon

Of the two girls that are friends with the missing girl, Lily, Shannon is the more concerned one and is eager to resolve the mystery and find her friend. Shannon is worried as to why Lily's phone is found on the ground the next day when her and Chelsea are walking home. She questions when and how Lily left the party that they were at and reaches the conclusion that she must have walked home by herself. She will not stop until she has found Lily and finds herself involved in the games that the abductor is playing with them. For this set of shots, she is dressed in a casual outfit which makes her seem innocent and looks realistic. Shannon becomes annoyed that Chelsea is not concerned for Lily's safety and this results in Shannon taking matters into her own hands. We chose the name Shannon as it is an unusual name and memorable for the audience as she is a key character to the plot.



Chelsea
Chelsea is also a friend of Lily but appears to be laid-back and relaxed about the situation surrounding the disappearance of Lily. She is tries to use logic to explain the absence of Lily as a means of reassuring Shannon and perhaps herself. In the trailer, she appears to not be bothered that Shannon is deeply anxious and determined to find out where Lily is. Her role in the trailer is of less importance than Shannon who remains a significant character and aspect of the developing plot. The audience may raise suspicion or take a disliking to Chelsea for her lack of sympathy and worry about Lily. To convey that she is somewhat a complex character, we have dressed her in a dark top which contrasts the white clothing that Shannon is wearing who seems pure and innocent. We chose the name Chelsea for this character as we feel that it seems fitting for her and does not seem like a 'sweet' name.



17/02/2012 - CopyRight - Film Trailer Text

Copyright

At the beginning of almost every film trailer you will notice a copyright green screen for a brief moment to let the audience know who the film belongs to and that it is protected legally.

Here is a typical screen that you would see at the beginning of a trailer, lasting about 6 seconds long before the teaser is due to start. The screen tells the audience who has made the film and who it belongs to. It is used to show the copyright and make the trailer legal.

This is the screen that we created for our film trailer as we felt that it was necessary to include to produce an authentic trailer. We made a green screen and followed a similar pattern for the text (font, size and colour). We also included two websites at the bottom of the screen as shown in a real green card. We made up the last line of the writing 'By the people at the screenview movies' as we could not copy the text exactly shown on the green card above as that would be affecting copyright and by creating our own names and websites it makes the green card more legitimate. The only difference in the two green cards is that the writing on the last line of the text is not in drop shadow but over than this issue it is barely noticeable.

17/02/2012 - Shooting Shannon & Chelsea Parts

Today we aimed to film the remaining parts of our trailer that we have barely focused upon; the characters and roles of Lily's friends. We were successful in doing so as filmed the scene in one of the girls bedroom where Shannon is frantically working away trying to find out what has happened to Lily juxtaposed to Chelsea who is lazing around on the bed painting her nails and puzzled as to why Shannon is so worried. 

We also needed to film outside where the two girls are on their journey home and stumble across Lily's phone and immediately find themselves involved in her abductor's 'game'. We checked the forecast for the day as we knew that we would be filming outside for a significant amount of time and did not want it to rain or be too sunny. As you can see the weather is cloudy which is ideal for our trailer as it should allow us to have suitable light to film and the cloudiness will foreshadow the misery that our characters are about to experience. 


For the scene in Shannon's bedroom, we wrote a rough script so that our characters would know what to say to each other and know how to interact. However, it is only rough and we are sure to change some of it but we will maintain and short script as this is only a short scene. During today's filming we were also unable to record sound properly as we did not have the appropriate  sound equipment so we could only use what was available on the video camera itself. 

09/02/2012 - Preparation

Make - Up

Here are an assortment of photographs of me and Kate preparing Georgi for her role in the film trailer. We applied mainly dark eye-shadow to her eyes to give the effect that she has been crying and is somewhat a mess from the ordeal. We also used make up on her face to smudge in to look like dirt as she is being kept in the cupboard of her abductor. 

We took some photographs of Georgi before filming to help her get into character and to show our progress while making the trailer. Here, she can be seen to look distressed and you will notice that we have only made her face look like it is covered in dirt because it is dark in the cupboard and it will be her face that the audience will focus on. 


Setting up the closet

Here is Kate lighting the scene and myself filming Lily in the cupboard scene. As you can see her wrists are tied and she is preparing for her role in the trailer. To light this scene we used a strong torch and used the main light source in the room as well.

This is the cupboard that we will be using to film Lily in as she has been taken hostage by her abductor. We filled it with male clothing as the abductor is clearly male and this is later confirmed when he is seen walking up the stairs.

         Setting up the staircase scene

We first tested Kate walking up the stairs to see how it would look and we were pleased with the outcome. By using the light from downstairs an orange-yellow colour reflects onto the wall and the person walking up the stairs becomes merely a shadow and a ghostly look is created.

We dressed our abductor in a big black coat and heavy boots so that he would walk up the stairs slowly and assert his power through thudding up the stair case. In the shots that we took, we were really pleased with the outcome and I think this is my favourite scene as it really builds tension for the audience as we know that Lily is helpless in the cupboard.

09/02/2012 - Fourth Set of Shots - The End Scene

In the last remaining 30 seconds or so of our film trailer we will reveal what the audience are made to believe is the abductor walking up a stair case. We practised this scene by filming at a low angle in a doorway as one of us walked up the stair case slowly and almost in a ghostly like way. We made sure that the lights were off apart from one downstairs to obviously give us a source of light and to make the figure appearing up the stairs  appear as a shadow. We then used Kate's dad, who dressed in a dark coat and boots to walk up the stairs slowly and I think this was effective as he seems inhuman and you cannot identify who he is exactly. 

Here are just a few of the clips from filming the moment that the audience sees Lily being kept in a cupboard by her abductor. The clips shown mainly demonstrate how we filmed this scene and making our actress knew what to do for this part. She is dressed in her red dress which connotes danger and almost illustrates just how vulnerable she is. In the cupboard she is seen to be gagged and struggling to break free from her ties. The cupboard is arranged with male clothing and shoes at the bottom near where our actress is located.