Planning- Storyboard

 Hi everyone!

As the production days are approaching, my group and I figured it was crucial to create storyboards to ensure we will have a smooth filming. These storyboards will serve as a basis for what we want each scene to focus on and look like. On the day of production, we wanted to be able to walk on set and clearly communicate what we want done.

Storyboard 1:

We decided to break our film opening into 3 different sections of 4. We wanted the first storyboard to mainly consist of the parts where there is no dialogue and is focused on specific details. In this section, the audience can see a girl (Luna) in school, about to leave, and getting home from school. We are hoping to include multiple close-up shots. so that the audience can focus on specific details. As the girl is getting home, the shots will start to become mid/ wide shots so the audience can then focus on the bigger picture/ setting. This storyboard then ends at a specific package, which will then shift the focus of the film. We did this so that each storyboard contains a different primary focus that we can specify our time on. We also did this so that we could have 2-3 production days, depending on the setting.

Storyboard 2:

As we began making our second storyboard, we realized that we wanted the main focus of this one to be about the realizations of the notes. We wanted to include multiple high, canted, and low angles, so that it would appear as if someone is watching Luna. Also, there will be a noticeable use of close-up and point-of-view shots to put us in the position of Luna as she is reading the notes. We hope that by doing these things, there will be an intense stress feeling on the audience and also convey that fear factor. There will also be a lot of diegetic noises to make the scene seem "normal" and as if it is just some ordinary girl experiencing her worst nightmare. We hope that by using these techniques, suspense will be built for the audience.

Storyboard 3:

For our last storyboard, we wanted the main focus to be on Luna's conversation with Thomas, which will change the complete plot of the story. There will be multiple parallel cuts between the location that Luna is at and the location where Thomas is at during their conversation. Then, once Thomas mentions something suspicious, we want to include a close-up of the connection between him and the notes Luna received. This convention will build suspense and create a realization for the audience that Thomas may be up to something. The last shot will end on a mid-shot showing Thomas writing something that seems to be just like Luna's notes. To leave the audience on a cliffhanger, we want to add music and a title right after that, which will leave them with wanting to know what will happen next.

Now that we have both the storyboard and the script part of planning done, we plan on getting all our props and costumes ready for filming day. These two things were essential to be made before producing, and now that we have these done, my group and I think we are almost about ready to begin filming within the next few weeks.

Planning- Script

 Hey Blog! After weeks and weeks of getting ready for my film, I figured it was finally time to begin making the script. After finalizing my cast and having a few group meetings throughout the week, I composed a script that will fit the needs of my film, and also the skills of my actors. This script will act as my guide for everything else in the production process, including setting, costumes, props, etc.

First Script Draft:

Although this draft is tentative to change and be fluctuated, I think it serves as a good example of how we want to share our story. I think the biggest challenge we encountered while composing this script was building suspense for the story in such a short time and not revealing so much information so that the audience is left wanting more. The more I researched, the more I realized that the majority of film openings don't even contain dialogue most of the time. After learning this, I wanted to reflect those conventions on my story as well. 

Overall, as much as I do like the idea around this story, there are also a few things about the script that I plan on tweaking a bit.  Now that we have a basis for the script, my group and I plan on meeting with the cast to review the script and take in any comments or concerns people have. Additionally, now that I have my script, the next thing we plan on doing is creating storyboards so we could have more of a visual of what we are composing.

Planning- Cast Sheets

Hi Blog! While I have already come up with some aspects of my film's opening, I decided that I needed to find people to act as the characters in my story. While choosing my actors, I realized that I needed to find people who would be able to portray the personalities I'm hoping to create.  

For this film, I decided to look for a girl who was similar to Luna and a boy who's similar to Thomas. Also, I needed to make sure I found people who were comfortable getting out of their comfort zone and acting like these people. My group and I put out a message saying we were looking for people interested in being casted for the roles we are providing. Luckily, we did receive a few responses and after reviewing, we chose our cast! 

Luna’s Actress- Melanie Arango

Thomas's Actor- Noel Perez

Since I was able to finish casting my actors, my next step in the process of making this film will be creating and reviewing the script so that way they can step into their characters. Additionally, my group and I also thought that it would be a good idea if everyone meets up and goes over the whole movie and expectations, before beginning the film process. We will also be discussing the outfits and makeup we want the actors to have. Since we are trying to make the actors seem like 2 ordinary high school teens, we are going for a casual costume look. While filming we will also have to put makeup on set to represent the dirty/ horror aspect of the environment that this is set in. My group and I can’t wait as the days of our film are inching closer! 

Planning- Film Ideas

 Hey Blog! Today I’ll be sharing the 3 ideas my group and I came up with for our film opening. After weeks of researching for our paranormal horror project, we came up with potential ideas designed to create tension, suspense and mystery, leaving the audience wanting more.

Within our 3 film options, we plan on having one girl (Luna) and one boy (Thomas) as the characters in our film opening.

Idea 1: The Message (The Mysterious Note)

Our first/ original idea was centered around 2 characters, being a boy and a girl. The story would begin when the girl receives a random anonymous note that lures her into a dark forest. As she follows different clues that lead her way deeper into the forest, abnormal sounds and movements will hint to some sort of paranormal creature being present. Alongside with the girl, the audience will be experience the same suspense experiencing the danger with her. By the end of the film opening, the audience will be left with the ideas of there being an eerie forest, and the surroundings hinting to some sort of threat beyond what is seen. The subtle presence of the creature will suggest that the girl is in danger without fully revealing what is about to happen. This idea will leave the audience wondering what will happen to the girl, and will she survive or not. To develop this opening, we each plan to practice lighting skills and sound effects to create a pressure of tension.

Idea 2: The Last Sight (The Haunted House)

The second film opening idea would take place in an old abandoned house with haunted history. As I mentioned previously the two characters would include a boy and a girl who decided to investigate the house after hearing horrifying, and oddly strange rumors of what’s happened in the house. The two characters would be normal high school kids, curious to find out the truth beyond this house. The opening would focus on the characters exploration by containing eerie sounds, dim lighting and radical movements, suggesting a paranormal presence. This paranormal presence would be hinted by using reflections on mirrors, or shadows with no figure. These things could be caused by ghosts or spirits lurking around the house. By creating this opening, we are hoping to create an unsettling atmosphere and establish fear on what could happen to these kids trying to unveil the truth of this horror house. To leave the audience hooked, we will end by showing a sudden, unexplained movement that leaves the audience questioning between what is real and what is supernatural.

Idea 3: Last Warning (The Cursed Object)

Our third idea for our film opening would be involving a cursed object, such as an old doll or rare treasure, discovered by a teen couple. The opening would begin with the couple exploring a no trespassing zone and then finding an object that caught their attention. As they’re examining this object, they would be unaware of the dark truth behind its power. Subtle paranormal experiences would occur, like quiet, whispers, or chilling sounds building tension. We will do this by adding sound effects to the film and flickering lights to get the audience worked up. These elements will hint towards the object having something unknown and important behind it. By slowly revealing its influence of fear on the characters, the scene will create suspense and hint towards some type of paranormal danger, without showing it in its entirety. 

Reflection 

By collaborating on these three film opening ideas, I realized how important it was to critically think on ways to create suspense, keep the audience engaged and revolve the story on being around paranormal activity. By planning different scenarios, I realized all stories must include different lighting, sound, and visual techniques to convey its message while building tension. By coming up with ideas like The Mysterious Note, The Haunted House, and The Cursed Object, I was able to consider how elements like props and character interactions go hand in hand when enhancing the fear and mystery aspects. I have also been able to analyze existing paranormal horror films to understand the conventions needed which has ultimately allowed me to come up with more creative ideas. Overall planning film openings helped me develop technical skills and cinematography well also improving my creativity and ability to build a narrative that keeps the audience invested in the story.

Planning- Production timeline

 Hi Blog and welcome back to crunch time! As we are getting closer to our filming days I figured it is essential to build a planning schedule. While I have done a ton of research, there are still a lot of things my group and I has to do to create this film. So many things include picking an overall story, choosing my actors, creating a script, coming up with costumes and makeup, and so many other things. To make this easier for my group and I, I decided to create a list/ schedule of what we plan on working on within the next few weeks. 

Besides this schedule, I also plan on deciding who my main characters are, their personalities and interest and their relationship to each other. All the things I plan on doing like music, script and setting will go hand in hand/connect to build the message of the story. When considering practices, we plan on having multiple collaborative meetings a week with all members. We will also collaborate with our schools TV program, so that they can teach us good techniques when considering cinematography. Throughout the next few weeks, we are going to focus on learning multiple tricks on Premier Pro so that we can learn how to edit, involve lighting techniques and insert sound effects and music that convey to the film.

My group and I can't wait to start producing our long awaited film opening!

Project Proposal

 Hi everyone tuning into my blog and welcome/ welcome back! Whether you have been following my journey, or just beginning to now, you would know that I’m in a class, AICE Media Studies, and creating a film opening from scratch. Alongside with me I’ve been working weeks with my partners Antonella and Maheen researching all about this. After weeks of extensive research we concluded that we will be creating a film opening based on the horror genre.

Our project will be a horror film opening based on paranormal activity. Ultimately, we chose this genre because instead of being violent and gruesome, it creates a sense of tension and fear for the audience. We thought this would be great because typically a wide range of ages could enjoy this. Since most paranormal horror movies focus on the audience depicting what is true and what’s not, we want to include that so we can leave the audience wondering. By using a mix of different sounds and editing skills, mystery will be developed. This film will not only appeal to older horror fanatics but also young-adults who are getting into these movies. Any viewers who love watching a mix of suspenseful and tense movies will strongly enjoy this film. While researching this genre, a social issue we explored and were interested in was the fear of unknown. We came up with the idea of it being based in a forest to make the audience develop suspense and to begin to think what could possibly be in the forest.

Since we are just beginning this film process it was definitely difficult to figure out ways to create it. We are planning to rent out one of our schools cameras and tripod to film. For the editing and sound process, we practiced using Premiere Pro using multiple templates. In the process of this journey I think my group and I will need to learn how to do more camera framing and sound effects to create suspension for audience. 

Our basic plan will involve two characters, a boy and a girl. The girl character will receive an anonymous tip/note which will lead her towards some mysterious setting. We are planning to make this an unsettling forest, a haunted eerie mansion or a dangerous no trespassing zone. Some type of paranormal figure will appear and the audience will begin to use their clues and wonder whether the girl is in danger or not. By using different elements, it will appear obvious that the girl is in danger and will leave the audience wondering what could possibly happen next. Before filming I will prepare using different lighting tactics and sound effects used in other paranormal horror activities to understand the conventions.

All these components are tentative at the moment, but I cannot wait to begin the actual process and see where my group am I’s film ends up.

Research- Publishers/Studios

 Hi everyone! Welcome back to another blog discussing an upcoming film! Today as i’m wrapping up my finals few research posts, I’ll be seeing what the successful studios have done to become such a hit. 

Research

Blumhouse Productions 

One of the most known and successful horror productions of all time have been Blumhouse Productions. The founder, Jason Blum, quickly gained fame straight off the bat for producing the hit movies, for a small price. Some things I learned while researching is that the main reason for their success is the fact that they were able to produce movies with low budget prices which were usually under $15 million. If you were wondering who they were, you could probably recognize them by their top hits such as, The Black Phone franchise, The Purge and Paranormal Activity. Overall, the fact that they don’t need a big budget to create much successful movies are the reason they are as big as they are. By wise money spending ways, they were able to create a sensation within their films. 

Universal Pictures

Out of all the different studios and productions, the one that may sound the most familiar to you is Universal Pictures. For a long time they have been the center of horror movies and have created a countless amount of hits. A few of their most popular franchises include Annabelle, IT and The Nun. They used multiple tactics to control large amounts of views like making use of marketing methods. Specifically their biggest hit franchise being The Conjuring which will always be considered a long-term success.

A24

In contrast with Blumhouse Productions, A24 is focused on auteur-driven horror. Not only are they just any regular horror studio, they also focus hard on the artistic aspects of movies. Some popular movies you may know produced by this studio are Talk to Me and Genetic. They’re often psychological horror films, mixed with eye catching visuals. They usually appeal heavily on the audience because of their intense plots which also received compliments from critics as well.

Sources

-https://www.blumhouse.com/

-https://scariesthings.com/2023/11/11/ranking-the-greatest-horror-production-studios/

Research- Color/Typography

 Hi everyone! Today as I’m wrapping up my last bits of research, I’ll be learning about color/typography. I think this element when film making is very important when trying to appeal to the audience, and convey the “fear” factor.

Research

Horror films don’t just convey their story through acting, they do it by using a mix of technical elements that use ways to affect the audience. Some the most prominent elements within typography is lighting, color and camera techniques.

The first element within color/typography that I’ll be researching is lighting and shadows. Horror movies prominently use low-key lighting and darkness to add intensity. Using these often makes the audiences thoughts and imagination got to wonder about the unknown. An example of this is the movie The Exorcist, where Father Marrin was standing near a foggy streetlight where the lighting is used to make him seem mysterious and leading the audience to create fear and suspicion. 

Another technical element was the use of color in horror movies. As I’m researching, I realized colors in horror films are symbolic and emotionally driven. For example, the color red often signifies a sign of danger and harm, while soft colors like blue and green hint towards isolation. In the movie Suspiria, a use of bright red and unnatural lighting creating a scene where the atmosphere is unsettling before any horror is actually happening.

As i’ve researched previously, typography and sound design helps create fear in the story before the story itself is told. Sound design in horror often is created through silence cuing towards suspense. Also, typography plays a role in effecting horrors done and marketing. Films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, uses typography in the sense that it is rough and uses aggressive typography through the title and headings to hint towards fear and gruesome events before the audience watches it.

Reflection

By researching about this I realized that films depend heavily on appearance through marketing and through the film itself. By having good typography, the audience will be influenced to press on it and watch it. Color and typography works hand in hand with other technical elements to evoke feelings from the audience. These elements are intentionally created to convey emotion from the audience which improves the audience perspective on it.

Sources

-https://putracetol.com/typography-in-horror-design/

-https://slowburnhorror.com/2021/09/10/the-meaning-of-color-in-horror/

-https://nofilmschool.com/horror-camera-angles

-https://theasc.com/articles/terror-through-lighting

-https://mediatech.edu/how-horror-movies-shaped-filmmaking/

-https://www.slashfilm.com/1913024/best-horror-movies-cinematography/

Research- Character Types

 Hey blog, hope you guys are doing well! As I’m wrapping up my research on the horror genre, I figured it was important to research about the different character types in horror films and what use they provide to the film. 

Research

Horror films are composed of specific characters to create and build a story to the audience. One of the most prominent character types is the “protagonist”, also known as the “final character.” This character helps the audience engage with character, and view the movie through their perspective. A popular example of this is Laurie Strode in the film Halloween, whose character is very aware of her surroundings and used calm and cautious behavior when put in pressure. By making this character seem intelligent in a risky situation, this horror film was able to give the viewers someone to rely on, and follow in the eyes of while danger is prominent.

Another primary character type in a horror movie is the antagonist or the monster. This is often the character that portrays a larger fear like death or the unknown. This character is usually mysterious, silent or unknown to make them seem more dangerous. An example of this is Michael Myers in the movie Halloween. This character is important because he’s masked and shows no motion, which makes him appear more different than how ordinary humans are. Another example of an antagonist can be seen in the film It follows. The entity in this movie develops fear because it seems almost ordinary in everyday life. These villains force the protagonist to be constantly fearful, and dealing with harm.

Additionally, horror films often have secondary character types, like victims or authority figures. These characters often help the plot keep moving forward. These characters often developed danger by creating a slow pace, which ultimately failed to protect others. For example, in the film Get Out, the secondary characters play a specific role in developing fear within the audience.  Their behaviors appear polite and then slowly reveal secret threats. These rules help create a conscious of trust in vulnerability and ultimately makes the protagonist role more vulnerable, and in harms way.

Reflection

By researching about character types, I learned that they are important to how horror films build the story. Protagonists help the audience connect with the story while antagonist create the deeper fear beyond physical danger. The secondary characters enforce isolation and build tension by doing things like creating threats or obstacles. This Research helped me understand the different roles character characters have in horror films in how they go, hand in hand, creating suspense and impact on the audience.

Sources

-https://nofilmschool.com/classic-horror-movie-character-types

-https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/get-out-review-jordan-peele-sundance-2017-1201772958/

-https://halloweenmovie.fandom.com/wiki/Primary_antagonists

-https://screenrant.com/halloween-every-main-protagonist-final-fate-alive-dead/

-https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-most-overlooked-underrated-characters-in-get_b_58c3049de4b0a797c1d39c5b

Research- Mise-en-scene

Hi blog! I recently researched on my previous posts about technical elements but thought it was also important to research in depth about mine-en-scene. I always thought it was interesting how mise-en-scene is used all throughout films in all different types of ways. To research this I will be reading multiple articles, researching mise-en-scene elements within horror movies and then taking notes on how it creates the effect it does.

Research 

The term mise-en-scene refers to anything that is placed in front of the camera like setting, lighting, costumes, props and the actors placement. It plays a huge role on how horror films build tension and convey fear to audience. To not get confused with cinematography, which is built on camera work, it primarily focuses on the visual effect a director builds on screen without using sounds or movement. Every aspect that has to do with an object, a costume or details has to do with mise-en-scene and is specifically put their to make the audience feel uneasy.

 Additionally, in horror, films, lighting, and color are often two components that work together with physical aspects to create tension. The use of low-key lighting and shadows are examples of mise-en-scene, which makes the audience question what they’re unable to see. An example of this is in a dark setting they may see abandoned houses or Erie buildings that give a sense of danger being around. Costumes and makeup also take part in this, for example: Pale skin, worn down clothes and abnormal outfits hint towards a threat being around without real words being spoken. The visual effects also include props like, teddy bears or bloody objects which help build a horror feeling in the atmosphere, conveying an unsettling feeling.

 

A good example of mise-en-scene is in the film Get Out. This is because the home appears clean, bright and welcoming, but in reality, there are tiny details that make it unsettling. The costumes appeared normal while background details such as the placement of servants or family members hinted towards danger before the plot is really shown. The calculated use of setting and visual detailing Allowed horror to develop overtime rather than using typical elements like jump scares.

Reflection

By researching mise-en-scene, I learned that it plays a huge role in creating fear. Every visual detail is specifically chosen to create discomfort. Horror doesn’t always depend on action or violence, but also visual storytelling, creating a sense of tension before anything actually happens. This research helped me realize how this is used to guide the audience’s emotion and build up fear.

Sources

-https://nofilmschool.com/mise-en-scene-horror

-https://nofilmschool.com/mise-en-scene

-https://www.byarcadia.org/post/horror-film-101-behind-the-mise-en-sc%C3%A8ne

Research- Technical elements

Hey blog, welcome back! Now that I know a little more about who enjoys horror films and what they’re intended to do, I want to study the technical elements that make them the way they are. In this post, I’m hoping to learn more about how to create a horror film by researching multiple articles and taking notes. I will be letting you guys know my key take aways, and what popular films used these elements.

Research

Horror films depend a lot more on technical elements to create the feeling of fear and uneasiness rather than depending on a story line alone. One of the most important technical aspects I took away was cinematography, especially the lighting and the camera angles within it. For example, horror films usually use low-key lighting to create shadows that limit what the  audience can see. This forces the audience to imagine what these figures could possibly be. An example of camera shots could be tracking shots. Films like The Shining use slow tracking shots and wide framing to make the empty area appear abandoned and threatening making the setting itself create a sense of fear.

Another component of technical elements that are prominent in horror are sound designs which are often more important than even the visuals. Films within the horror genre use eerie background music amd ambient noises are use to build fear. Also, random moments of loud sounds are prominent to create jump scares, while random silence is the build up of suspense for them. In the film Psycho, a sound of a rusty violin echos during a shower scene which built up panic alone by just using music. Sound often plays a major role in horror films because it warns the audience of danger  before anything visually appears on screen.

Additionally, the use of special effects practical techniques help create a more realistic and uncomfortable setting. Most filmmakers often prefer practical effects like prosthetic makeup and physical blood effects because it makes the movie seem more believable and realistic. The film, The Thing, has creatures turning into things in a more graphical way making it uneasy. Using these techniques make the threats seem real and evoke the emotional fear from the audience. It also makes the fear more real and almost believable.

Lastly, The use of editing and pacing plays a major role in creating the horror experience. Most horror films use a slower pace and longer takes to make the audience uncomfortable while waiting for something to happen. When some type of scare occurs, fast cuts and sudden edits are used, so that the viewer builds up a sense of fear and discomfort. The mix of slow buildup and quick action makes the fear more intense. Horror films like It Follows, rely on extended shots to keep building up the plot and making the threats clear.

Reflection

By researching, I learned the horror films use a very specific use of technical elements to evoke the fear out of the audience. Rather than just telling a story, the technical elements are the real foundation. Cinematography, sound, editing and special effects work hand in hand to create specific emotions from the audience at specific moments. This research helped me have a better understanding on horror as a genre and that it requires enhanced technical skills to create the real psychological tension and fear.

Sources

-https://www.elratonmediaworks.org/northern-new-mexico-film-tv-blog/30-horror-making-techniques

-https://collider.com/best-horror-filmmaking-techniques

-https://nofilmschool.com/basics-of-horror-cinematography

-https://www.afi.com/robert-detail/53260-PSYCHO/