Preparing to Film Blog Post #16

 Our Preparations for Filming!

Today, I will be planning out everything for our film, such as locations, props, actors, costumes, dates, and film equipment!

Location

We haven’t picked a spot yet, but we’ve got a potential empty house that could work for filming the opening scene of our movie at night. A house would really be the perfect backdrop for that scene, so we might also consider using Amaar’s place or my home.

Times and dates

The plan is to shoot after dark since that’s when the scenes will look best. We’re aiming to film during winter break, wanting to wrap up all the shooting before it ends. We’re thinking sometime between the first and second week of that break.

Costume

Figuring out costumes isn’t too complicated. We just need a nightgown for the actor playing our victim. For the serial killer role, which I’ll take on, we’ll go with a black suit, maybe add a mask and cap to complete the look.

Film gear

We’re planning to borrow a camera from an old friend for filming. We’ll also use a lamp to create some flickering effects, and a flashlight will help with the spotlights and shadows on close-up props.

Props

Making props might be a bit tricky. We’ll need things like blood splatters, blood-stained footprints, maybe a fake weapon, and some dolls that fit the theme. For the blood effect, we can use red food dye or paint, and we’ll put that dye or paint on the bottom of a shoe for the footprints. As for the doll, we could either buy a creepy one or take a regular-looking doll and make it look scary with some markers and artsy touches.

Actors

This part is definitely the easiest to figure out. We won’t need a lot of actors since the opening focuses more on the atmosphere and setting. We really just need one actor, who can play both the victim and the spooky serial killer. It should be easy enough for our friend to take on the victim role. I think I’ll handle the serial killer part, which might need someone with a bit more experience.

Mood Board Blog Post #15

 Mood Board!

Hello readers, this is the mood board I created based on our horror/thriller film opening. Because our movie fits into 2 similar genres, it was quite easy to put together. I will be explaining the reasoning behind each image and what it means in terms of the film's opening. First of all, the three images at the bottom are based on the killer. He is seen in the dark and almost like a shadowy figure. He is choosing which mask to wear to cover his face and keep his identity a secret. Also, you can see his choice of weapon, which is a knife. Near the top, you can see a toy doll, which is what the killer leaves at every crime scene. Next to it, is a dark room with dim lighting, which is what I want the setting to look like. Also, the bloody puddles and the caution tape are things found at every crime scene. Below is an image of a girl running away from something, which is a scene I want to incorporate into the film opening. Again, you can see a suburban house which is the home of one of the victims. You can see the moon which is when most of the killings take place, nighttime. Also, below those pictures, is an image of a girl who seems to be scared inside of her own home. This is a feeling I want to create in the opening. I want the viewers to be feeling paranoid and scared of what is coming next. All of these images have dim lighting, which is the lighting I want for the film. It adds to the suspense and thrill of the movie.

So, to conclude, this mood board captures the general feel and look of the movie perfectly. I hope to begin making it a reality soon!

Project Storyboard Blog Post #14

 Storyboard Drawing!

Today, I will describe the narrative depicted in the storyboard. 

Scene 1: 

• Shot A: The scene begins in a dim, silent setting. The audience is presented with a close-up of an unfamiliar person's feet as they slowly ascend a staircase. The solitary sound of their footsteps is the only audible element, instantly creating a sense of tension. 
• Shot B: The silhouette of the mysterious figure is cast on a dark wall. They remain completely motionless. This shot compels the viewer to focus on the silhouette.

Scene 2: 

• The camera captures the back of an unidentified stranger, who is covertly observing a victim preparing for bed.

 Scene 3: 

• The introduction skips over the violent moment, jumping straight to the aftermath. 
• Shot A: The stranger is seen walking through a dimly lit hallway. Dramatic lighting is provided by lightning flashes and thunder outside, briefly illuminating the corridor. The camera focuses on their hands, from which blood drips slowly from both the knife and their fingertips. 
• Shot B: A close-up shot highlights the floor, revealing blood-soaked footprints and trails left by the stranger, heightening the audience's suspense and excitement. 

Scene 4:

•  The final scene features a brief shot of a doll left at the site of the victim's murder. This peculiar item at the crime scene adds a strong sense of mystery and hints that the killer might be leaving a signature clue. 

So, this is the complete summary of my storyboard. Hopefully, when we begin filming, the movie will resemble this vision. It took me about an hour to sketch this due to my trash drawing skills!

Specific Film Inspirations Blog Post #13

 Specific Film Inspirations for our Film Opening

For our movie, we took a lot of inspiration from horror classics due to their simple but flawless execution of following the conventions of horror/thriller movies. Today, I will be showing you the exact movies that inspired us to make our movie.

1. Annabelle (2014)

In the movie Anabelle, there is a toy doll that gets possessed by an evil spirit and begins to haunt the people who own the toy. This film changed the way people viewed dolls due to the fact that it made people believe they could maybe move on their own or have something evil tied to them. So, we took inspiration from this and used a toy doll in our movie as a symbol of evil and malice that the killer will use to scare and taunt his victims. We will use a doll that is made out of similar material and wearing old clothes, since it makes it look broken and withered. This adds to the scare factor and will surely grab viewers' attention!

2. Scream (1996)

In the movie Scream, there is a killer on the loose who is hidden behind a mask. The directors use this to their advantage by adding suspense and mystery around who is behind it. They use visual withholding perfectly, allowing viewers to keep watching to see who is behind the murders. In our movie, the killer's face will be hidden and will not be seen to add suspense, just as Scream did. The victims in our movie will be constantly paranoid due to a mysterious figure targeting them, allowing us to make viewers afraid. Also, we will make a similar shot to the one pictured, where the killer is watching the victim and is still hidden by the mask.

3. Lights Out (2016)

In the movie Lights Out, there is an evil entity that can only attack in the dark and uses it to its advantage. The movie uses dark lighting or no lighting at all to maximize the fear instilled in the viewer. In our movie, we will use dark lighting or no lighting to create the same effect in viewers. In the movie, when the room is dark or quiet, the main characters know they are either being stalked or about to be attacked. In our movie, we will have something similar. The victims will be paranoid about the dark settings and the unknown that is lurking around them. Also, we can use everyday settings, which helps our budget because we can tone down the lights there and still make it professional.

Genre Conventions Blog Post #12

Genre Conventions of our Film

Today, I will be breaking down all the ways our film will adhere to the conventions of our genre. In the film, we will be including lighting, composition, camera shots, sound effects, camera angles, camera movements, and the mise-en-scène normally found in horror/thriller movies.

Since our film is about a Serial Killer, it will include:

Camera angles: Over the shoulder (display the toys the murderer left behind over his shoulder without showing him)
Point-of-view (present the victim from the murderer's perspective before to his attack)
Dutch angle (dolls approaching the hallway)

Camera movements: Zoom (zoom into the trails' blood, zoom into the doll's eyes, zoom into the silhouettes on the wall)
Static photo of footsteps and toys
Whip pan (highlight tension in the room or hallway)
Dolly (create suspense by tracking the footsteps in the corridor)

Sound effects:
Thunder to build suspense and a spooky atmosphere
Footsteps to build tension and enigma
Fear and stress are created by creaking flooring.
Blood trails are formed by blood droplets.

Lighting: To provide a great deal of suspense, it should be completely dark with only sounds.
Using flickering lights to evoke stress and anxiety
Use spotlight lights to draw attention to clues such as blood trails and dolls.
Using shadowed lighting to draw attention to silhouettes

Composition: Using contrasting shots to highlight the dolls in the same shadowed frame
Negative areas to draw attention to items and evoke tension
frames that are filled to convey a sense of overwhelm

Camera shots: Intense close-ups (doll eyes, blood trails)
Close-ups (footsteps on the ground, dolls)
Medium shots (shadows, walls, and halls)

Final Project Idea Blog Post #11

 The Final Project Idea

Amaar and I have finally made a decision after much deliberation and idea generation.

"The Serial Killer" is the idea Amaar and I came up with. It will be a suspenseful horror movie about an unidentified serial killer who signs each scene with eerie toys. Different camera angles of steps, dolls, blood trails, silhouettes, and many more tense scenarios will be included in the movie. The film will focus on eerie shadows, weird motions, and odd hints that aid in the investigation and ultimately result in the murderer's identity.

Our movie will combine elements of the horror and thriller genres. It will emphasize suspense, uncomfortable environments, and hints as mysteries that reveal secrets about the killer's identity.

Our Project will fit the conventions of the genre through:

Dim Lighting:

How We're Doing It: There will be no light! Low-key illumination, flashing lights, and powerful spotlights will only be used on important items, such as clues.

Why It Works: For both horror and thrillers, darkness is necessary because it instills fear and conceals the danger.

Props:

How We're Doing It: Clearly frightening things like blood trails, those eerie dolls, and bloody footprints are what we're using.

Why It Works: These are instantly unpleasant (horror) and excellent visual signals for a crime scene (thriller).

A suspenseful atmosphere:

How We're Doing It: We rely a lot on sound, like creaking flooring, heavy thunder, and the sound of approaching footfall.

Why It Is Effective Even when you can't see it, sound puts the audience on edge and alerts them to impending peril.

Our Project will be different from the typical genre by:

We're making two significant changes since we don't want to simply replicate every other slasher film:

The Dolls are Evil: Our dolls are the killer's horrifying emblem, not a symbol of innocence. This completely transforms a common sign into something ominous and exclusive to our narrative.

No Gore: This is a significant one. We are not displaying any gruesome dead bodies or actual murders. The suspense and the mystery-solving process are our main priorities. Because of this, the movie becomes a far more psychological thriller in which the horror is hinted at rather than overtly displayed.

Brainstorming Ideas Blog #10

Brainstorming Ideas

Amaar and I have been making up ideas for the movie, but we could not decide on one specifically. We both agreed that we wanted to make a suspenseful movie. However, we were having trouble deciding whether to write an action thriller, a mystery thriller, or a horror thriller. As a result, we began to imagine several kinds of sequences that could be combined to make a thriller.


Let's look at the possible movie ideas:


1. The Loop in Time

A suspenseful mystery movie in which a character occasionally goes through the same routine until something unusual occurs.
Pros: Tension is built in as readers wait to see what will happen; the shots are taken in the same spot, making filming easy.
Cons: monotonous; viewing the same things could get dull and uninteresting; little variation in scenes.

2. The Serial Murderer

A frightening doll is left behind as a trademark by an unidentified killer who murders people at night in this thriller horror movie.
Pros: Captivating; instantaneous tension and terror; potential for developing backstory and plot twists that keep readers interested and curious about what will happen next
Cons: needing makeup, props, and different scenarios; striking a balance between mystery, thriller, and terror

3. The Vlogger at Night

A YouTuber spends the night to a haunted house to gather proof of a supernatural force and engages in combat with it in this suspenseful action movie.
Pros: exuberant, full of action and stunts, captivating the audience
Cons: additional film motions and viewpoint changes are needed for the action; the sequence is challenging to produce. Also, may be out of budget.

We will be making our final decision soon hopefully!