Gantt Chart Blog Post #18

 Blog Chart for our Film Opener!

Hi guys, welcome back to another blog. Today, I will be talking about our schedule for the rest of this final project. This will include development, pre-production, production, and post-production. Ok lets get started!

To begin with, this is a Gantt chart that took me a while to graph and plan out. It includes all the major things we have done and will do, and how many days we plan to do each thing. First is the development stage. From week 1-3, we did brainstorming for about 3 days, script writing for about 2 days, planning set for about 4 days, and blogging, which took  6 weeks to do, which is the length of the entire schedule. The blogging is very tedious since we have to explain everything included in our film, and the grand total we have to do is 46. But never mind that. Now, from week 3-4, we have pre-production. This included casting for about 1 day, set design for about 2 days, locations for about 2 days, and costumes for about 1 day. Everything besides costumes has been done by both Amaar and I. Costuming has been done by me. Next, we have production. This includes set building, practice filming, and actual filming. Set building will take 2 days, practice filming will take 1 day, and actual filming will take 2 days. Lastly, we have post-production. This includes main editing and sound editing. We plan to take 3 days on main editing and 2 days on sound editing. In conclusion, this Gantt chart will help us coordinate everything we have done already and what we will do soon.

Graphic Design and Font Use Blog Post #17

Graphic Design and Fonts in our Film Opening!

My partner Amaar and I spent some time discussing what fonts and graphics we wanted to incorporate into our film opening. We know that the font and graphics in a movie's opening really set the tone right off the bat. They give the audience a strong visual hint about the film's genre and help evoke a sense of fear.

Since our's is a horror or thriller, that usually means opting for rough, jagged, or shaky text to instantly create a vibe of danger, chaos, or suspense.

We have chosen these five potential fonts and graphics for our movie.

1. Scratchy Font

A sense of unrest and instability is conveyed by the scratchy font, which effectively engages the audience's emotions. It also appears to be dripping blood, which is exactly in line with our theme and message and evokes even more feelings in general.

2. Glitch Font

The audience feels more tense and uneasy because of the glitchy font, which appears to be all jumbled up. It intensifies the turbulence in the atmosphere and adds a degree of uncertainty.
3. Weapon with Reflection

The jagged typeface and the image with the reflection of a face really make me uncomfortable. The audience is drawn into the scenario by the reflection, and the tension is increased by the crisp font. The encounter is undoubtedly made more unsettling by it.

4.  Gloved Hand Holding Weapon

 

Many of the feelings we want to evoke in our audience are evoked by the concealed hand carrying the weapon. First of all, since we don't know who the murderer is, the disguise lends a sense of mystery and tension. As a result, viewers are left wondering about their identities and intentions. The thrill and suspense are further increased by the hand lifted in the air, which implies that the murderer could strike at any time.


5.  Blood Splatter

The story is made more dramatic by the drops of bright red liquid, which are obviously blood. The viewer is immediately drawn in by that vivid red, which heightens the eerie atmosphere by conveying a sense of fear and danger. Additionally, it serves to emphasize the story by letting viewers know that there is probably some sort of crime or danger taking place in the movie.

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)