Research & Planning: Cinema trip Paranormal Activity 3

Over the weekend, Lucy and I decided to watch the latest Paranormal Activity 3 (15+) at the cinema, we thought this would be good research as it's the same genre as our teaser trailer. 


Before the film began there was a Twilight: Breaking Dawn (Part 1) PG-13 and Justice  these were different genre's however built suspense and made me want to watch the entire film due to its montage of shots and quick editing.


When watching Paranormal Activity 3, I really liked the use of hand held camera, as it built suspense and seemed that I was there rather than watching, which is what effect I want with our teaser trailer. The editing with the Rec and time symbol is what effect we want to use too. The blue ting of colour throughout the film gave it that thriller/horror dark atmosphere too.

Research & Planning: Newsreader conventions

Here I have two videos from YouTube that simply show some of the key conventions of a news report, by researching this it will give me an outline of what structure my news report should follow in my own teaser trailer. These are the main conventions I have found

• It begins where the news reporter is sat at a desk in main focus, where no editing is taking place
• The news reporter is always center frame- main focus for the audience.
• Commonly Mid Close ups are used.
• A straight cut is often used to show the other reporter on the screen behind, when a follow up is used at that scene.
• The newsreader is commonly well spoken and clear.
• When they're reading the script they use breaks between lines to build suspense in the story.

When the report moves to the live scene:

• Sometimes begins with an establishing shot with a voice over.
• Filler shots are used whilst the reporter describes the news in much more detail sometimes with facts and figures.
• A static camera is used showing the reporter in a mid long shot, where she goes further into detail about the news topic.

Research & Planning: Animated Storyboards

This is an animated storyboard of how I want my teaser trailer to follow, first of all in our group drew the shots one by one, then took photographs of these where we then imported these onto Imovie, where I (as the editor) placed these in an order and placed transitions between these and how long a shot and edit would last.


However I've not uploaded this yet as there was a problem uploading I'm going to after half term.

Research & Planning - Treatment changes

Today whilst creating my animated story board, Lucy and I decided to make some changes to the teaser trailer as we realized some shots/edits would work better.


The new treatment:

• MPAA warning : approximately lasting 3 seconds.
• Cut to a production title: (VisionTwist productions) 3 seconds.
• Static: approximately 2 seconds.
• Cuts to hand held camera -showing the character's feet whilst running. 
• Cuts to a mid close up of a news report "breaking news.. over to the scene"
• straight cuts to a medium long shot of the other news reporter at the crime scene
• Rewind footage back- speed it up.(4 seconds)
• Equilibrium: the teenagers sat around the campfire talking about the myth using hand held camera, calm atmosphere
• Flash to a subtitle with newspaper article: Class mates missing! (sepia effect)
• Cuts to black 
• Subtitle Myth of the scarecrow: "dating back to the late 1960's" and a photo of the scarecrow (sepia effect)
• Montage of shots where the teens are in panic..
• 'coming soon' title frame
• Canted framing, where you see a body being pulled across the floor as looks like the scarecrow pulling it.
• Quick cut to title of the film.

Research & Planning - Soundtrack research

Example one: In this clip there are some elements that I could take ideas from and re produce my own sound's on Garageband, the clip has this dark ambient feel too it.


Example Two: This clip also has a dark ambient feel to it, also I think it suits a horror/thriller genre well.


I decided to use Youtube to research a couple of soundtrack ideas, sound clips for my teaser trailer to see what would work and wouldn't. 

Research & Planning: The Treatment

Since receiving feedback from my teacher and classmates, Lucy and I have had a meeting and discussed what plot we think will work best and have chosen 'Curse of the scarecrow' the first plot. This is a summary of how we want our teaser trailer to run:

• MPAA warning : approximately lasting 3 seconds.
• Cut to a production title, off-screen diagetic of teens messing with the camera. 
• Static: approximately 2 seconds.
• Cuts to hand held camera -showing the character's feet whilst running. 
• Flash to a subtitle with newspaper article: Class mates missing! (sepia effect)
• Cuts to black 
• Subtitle Myth of the scarecrow: "dating back to the late 1960's" and a photo of the scarecrow.
• Black screen..(beep sound effect- camera dead)
• Rewind footage back- speed it up.
• Equilibrium: the teenagers sat around the campfire talking about the myth using a static establishing shot from POV scarecrow: On screen diagetic music from the campfire and sound of laughing.
• Cuts to a black subtitle of a film review and quote.
• Montage of shots, building tension: various close ups, jump cuts and hand held camera for chases etc.
• Quickly flashes to the scarecrow.
• Then a trough is show with static camera, where it shows the empty camfire where its vandalised and people are missing.
• Cuts to black screen with "coming soon/date" (re write that sooner to the time) 
• Hand held camera of the teens running, then drop the camera.
• Fades to someone picking it up.
• Cuts to title of the film.

Research & Planning; Second meeting/ Proposal

First Plot: 

A group of teenagers decide to go on a camping trip for a weekend to investigate on an old myth of the 'curse of the scarecrow', when friends being provoking the scarecrow in the field, things start to happen during the night and go missing one by one. 

Cinematography:
The majority of the camera work will be hand held, with elements of static, we've decided on this as its more realistic and shows the characters thoughts. The static camera will be used from the scarecrows point of view, suggesting that its watching the characters every move, also presenting numerous establishing shots. Close ups and low angle tracking shots to follow the characters in the climax. We will always have the scarecrow in the shots, at a distance to represent that it's always watching them and there's no escape from this.

Editing: 
Begins with an a MPAA, followed by studio production and distributor introduction, what the students are doing by using subtitles and scenes of them setting up equipment using fades. Builds up to quick editing with a montage of shots building tension.

Sound: 
Starts with off screen diegetic sound of the students laughing and working the camera whilst the studio production title is shown, that puts the audience in a position where they can hear but not see whats going on, and an introduction of what the students are doing. Tension building music will be used as the montage of shots are shown.

Mise-en-scene: 
Set in a woodland area, at sunset/night, giving a dark haunted feel to the teaser trailer, also representing the horror genre. Teenagers wearing informal winter clothing e.g wellies, coats and gloves. A came fire, logs to set a camping vibe. Scarecrow on a cross in the distance. 

:

Second plot

A horror genre where a group of teenagers decided to go on a camping trip down at the woods as a celebration of finishing college, however things turn messy as a mad man 'killer lumberjack' is on the lose in these isolated woods. - a final girl scenario. 

All micro elements as above..

Third Plot:

A group of teenagers go on a camping trip down the woods, things get heated up as arguments are caused within the friendship group, they decide to split up and call it a night, however bump into a 'killer lumberjack' who seeks to torture and kill them, they attempt to escape to the a old pub, however to come across a nasty surprise.  

All micro elements as above..

Research & Planning: Costume/Prop List: Film Trailer

For a classic outdoors scarecrow I will need:

• Old pair of jeans/trousers. £5
• Old pair of socks and boots £2
• Long sleeved shirt- preferably black/brown.
• Gardening gloves. (from home)
• Potato bag for the face with material to make facial features.
• Rope/string. £1
• Straw/ newspaper/ rags. £5
• Safety Pins £1
• Mask (from home)

For the camping trip:

• Tent. £60 -2 man tent.
• Torch. £5
• Camcorder. (College property)
• Fake bird ( for the scarecrow) £3-4
• Bottle's of water (alcohol) 2 for £1
• Mobile phones. (our own)
• Logs/wood/stones.
• Informal clothing for the teenagers.
• Ipod/ docking station.
• Food: snacks: £1

For the crime scene/News report: 

• Yellow and black tape: £1
• Cameras (College)
• White overalls and blue bags- crime investigation.
• A desk- (College)
• A coat for the news reporter.  

Research & Planning: Garageband sound test

I use Garageband on the Mac to create my own sound, I used different insturments and overlapped sounds and adjusted the pitch and echo. This was a small test to help me use it and learn the key points before I use it for my teaser trailer.

Research & Planning; Further Genre Research

I have researched more on the genre horror, as I have chosen to produce a horror teaser trailer. I found to produce a successful horror it needs

• A unique story line
• Use believable actors where the audience can connect with.
• A truly frightening antagonist (Villain) as this is our main focus throughout the film.
• The cinematography must include low angles showing the characters venerability, tight framing suggesting there is no escape, quick camera movement reflecting on the characters state of mind.
• There must be a use of low key lighting with a high contrast giving a dark atmosphere.
• Separation between the characters in a frame- suggesting the relationship is often used, or between an object.
• The duration of shots whilst the climax and peaks are short, building suspense.
• Sometimes in the teaser trailers montages are used, normally with shots that connect to each other suggesting a relationship between them.

Research & Planning: Equipment/Software

Throughout this year, to complete my production of my teaser trailer, film poster and magazine cover I will be using: 

Equipment:

• Video Camera: (Cannon mini dv) to shoot footage for the teaser trailer.
• Mac computer: I use this to complete work whilst at college.
• SLR Camera: To take photographs for the magazine/poster and updates for the blog.

Software:

• GarageBand: To create music for the teaser trailer and edit voices perhaps.
• Photoshop: To create my magazine/poster.
• Internet: blogger and any other source for information
• Imovie and Final Cut Pro: to create my teaser trailer, where the editing will take place.on.

At home I will use:

• HP laptop- for blogger and picnik.com if I need to edit photographs.