OS VODCAST 7: Slasher titels and titles we will use

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In this vodcast we go over the titles used in 6 different slasher movies and we talk about how they are effective. We go over the way the titles are designed to connote the horror genre. We also go over the fonts we will be using for our own titles and personal preferences along with audience feedback.

OS PLANNING What we have filmed / what we need

To Film:

• Establishing shots
• More realistic opening of door during garage scene

Have Filmed:

• Bedroom scene
• False scare
• Jigsaw like Santa on t.v
• Stabbing
• Getting dressed

PODCAST 9 - Review of rough cut

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In this podcast we go over things that we need to improve from our rough cut

JC PLANNING Screenplay Film Opening

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Screenplay christmas sleigher from James Clinnick

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Screenplay made for the film opening.

PLANNING location scouting

This is the first location we where thinking of for our zombie hybrid film opening, however that idea got changed quickly. It is in a farm area and would have been great for the opening scene.

This is the house we were planning to use for our film opening but we agree that it seemed to be in a location where there is little to no isolation due to it being a triple house with neighbours either side.

The next location we thought of was just a garage and from the outside it looks very isolated and scarry and looks like a run down place perfect for a slasher film. However it is really just a garage and that is evident from the outside so it wouldn't work as a building that we were supposedly going to film in.

Our final choice was this house. It had a garage (even an extended one) and it had the windows and blinds which we used in the room for out film opening. We thought that this house would achieve verisimilitude as it ticks all the conventions of a house in a slasher opening.

This is the garage we decided to use with a few of the props moved around. The garage is not modern or in pristine condition so we thought it suited a killing scene well.

PODCAST 7 - Update on filming ideas

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• Discuss last weeks filming
• Issues faced
• Ideas we will improve 
• Scream queen
• Camera shake
• Costume (mise-en-scene)
• Set change 

PLANNING Production Schedule

Friday 15th:

• Finish call sheets and storyboard 

Sunday Morning 17th:

• Setup garage and sets
• Test gagging and tie up shots 

Sunday Afternoon 17th:

• Film all establishing shots
• Film living room scene 
• Film hallway scene
• Film Garage scene 
• Santa won't be filmed
• Reaction to death scene
• Film cross-cutting scene with girl tied up 

Tuesday 19th:

• Santa on TV shots
• Killing/slashing/death scene

Wednesday 20th 

• Sound FX recording 

PODCAST 6 - Introducing new film opening idea

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• We talk about the new idea
• "Christmas Sleigher"
• We explain the idea in detail 

PLANNING Call Sheets + Story Board

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These are the call sheets we used for planning certain scenes in the film opening. We needed to plan how to film our shoot in order to be as effecient and make sure we didn't miss anything out.

Here are bits of our story board which we used to make sure we had a clear and detailed idea of what the film opening would be about.

PODCAST 5 - Production schedule update

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• Talk about issues that happened during filming this week
• What we did wrong 
• How to fix the problems
• What we will do next 
• How to prevent it happening again

PLANNING for next week:

• Too catch up on all the individual work that needs to be done using the deadlines set.
• Improve my blog
• Do Vodcast on slasher franchise 
• Create company ident (Gingerbread Films) 
• Sample scene for film opening

PLANNING: Locations, Cast, etc.

Ideas for Miss-En-Scene:

• Fake cig 
• Vodka bottle filled with water
• Campsite sign
• Zombie missing hand
• Torn clothing
• Fake blood for victims 

Music:

• Mysterious
• The pitch/ bpm will increase before first death
• Slightly eerie tones
• An audio bridge over the tiles

Titles:

• Redish font, will appear/ fade to dark scenery slowly
• Serif font 

Idents:

• Coated in red

Locations:

• Woods
• Back/ country roads
• Field

Cast:

• 5 characters
• Driver (Single) - Confirmed (Final girl)
• Couple (Both mature) - Confirmed (Female is scream queen)
• We are reversing the roles to counteract the normal stereotype of scream queen/ final girl
• Couple (Both immature) - Male confirmed, Female TBC
• Make-up artist -Confirmed
• Zombies - 2 confirmed

PODCAST 2 Ident ideas in depth

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• Ginger bread productions
• Long shot over GBM
• camera zooms in - shadow of hand cast over GBM
• See the change of GBM facial expressions
• Hand takes buttons etc
• GBM screams 
• Sound FX of eating
• Hand takes GBM
• crumbs spelling "GB productions left behind"

PODCAST 1 - Introduction to film opening

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• Idea from film opening 
• Horror
• Friday the 13th inspired
• Ident ideas 

TITLES Typical Title Sequence

Format

1. ...Presents
2. In association with...
3. A ... Production
4. A ... Film
5. Stars (Main, Starring, Co-starring, with, introducing: in that order)
6. Cast
7. Technical Roles
8. Directed by...

Technical Roles Format:

1. Casting by
2. Costumes designed by
3. Music composed by
4. Editor
5. Director of Photography (Cinematography)
6. Lighting by
7. Production designer 
8. Screenplay by
9. Executive Produces
10. Produced by
11. Written by  

After researching with the other media students (I did Austin Evans) we came to the conclusion that these are the sort of titles we are looking for.

ANALYSIS Practice Shoot

Planning and Planning Sheets:

- working as a group to share ideas.
- Call Sheet is a planner for costumes, shot types, script and it also makes it easier for each shot.  
- organisation
- listing

Directing:

- retake multiple shots for the same content.
- use chalk or tape to let the actor know where to stand when taking multiple shots.
- give clear and precise instructions.
- control the set

Cinematography:

- use Manual Focus for specific shots.
- coverage (e.g. Extra footages

My 5 key tips for next time:

- experiment with Manual Focus
- communicate more with the actors
- have more cameras filming
- have a precise and clear Call Sheet
- go over everything together before shot

PLANNING Story Board

Here the storyboard the first minute of our zombie hybrid
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MISC Creating a Film Opening

1. Planning and planning sheets

• Complete a detailed call sheet
• have a list for everything before call sheet
• location scouting
• cast
• mise - en - scene
• script
• shot types

2. Directing

• clear instructions
• good organisation
• be efficient in-between shots

3. Cinematography

• have 2 or more camera's
• retake shots with as much variety as possible
• use coverage footage
• using manual/auto focus correctly
• if needed, mark where cast should stand
• proper lighting
• large shot variety

MISC 5 things I have learnt about coursework

1. There is a lot of research and planning needed to go into the film opening we are going to create
2. There will be many theories applied throughout the film opening and many new media terms to be learnt
3. I have be to be very creative to come up with film opening ideas that meat all the requirements
4. It will be hard to meat all the requirements in just a 2 minute film opening
5. There will be new software that I have to get used to using to create my film opening.

MISC Thoughs on past coursework film openings

Some of the past coursework film openings have been very creative and have been edited in a suitable style. Like Sophie and Bronwen with the "Pizza Productions" Where the title slowly appears after the pizza is removed and eaten. The "scribble pictures" is also written in scribbles but then the clip is reversed. All of this is part of Stuart Hall preferred readings theory. Which works really well for all the film openings. All of the film openings have credited the Director, Stars and Editor in the film opening as well, and maybe even the costume designer or sound editor. The film openings have a set a very clear tone, genre and theme to the movie. The film opening "Liar"  also has many sound effects to it to create a humouristic element but also to get the audience more involved with the opening. All in all, all of the film openings have the companies involved playing first then they set the tone, genre and scene for the upcoming movie.