Last Minute makeup for film

In order to accomplish the look of a young malnourished girl who has been deprived of water and sunlight, we went for a roughed up dirty look, which was done by using dark eye shadow around the eyes and nose, along with red and purple colours to portray bruising. We also used a range of lipsticks to show dry and fresh blood around the mouth area, this indicates the vicious eating behaviour the girl has, and also suggests she eats some sort of meat...possibly human.

Progress Targets

"On return we begin the post production stage of our journey and editing begins from the onset - make sure you are video blogging and keeping your page relevant and up to date.  Make sure you have evidenced all the following areas of focus over the break to maximise your marks for research and planning.  The numbers reflect the amount of posts expected, at least.  You are capable of exceptional attainment here - grab it!  You are capable of so much more Eleanor."

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Research

Genre Research - 10

Soundtrack research (non copyright) - 1/2 DONE

Costume and Location Research  - 1/2 DONE

Actors and Props Photos and Interviews - 3/5 DONE

Audience Research and Profiling ( Typical audience member and similar films) - 1 DONE

Uploaded Youtube videos of openings - analysed - 15/20 ---

Analysed Film openings from your genre in particular - 5/10 ---

Institution Research (Paramount etc) - 1 DONE

Certificate Research - 1 DONE

Planning

Own film idea Brainstorming - 1 DONE

Own film treatment - 1

Relevant online tutorials and comments - 4/5 ---

Documenting of influences on production - 1 (in interview)

 

Shot Lists - 1 -- DONE

Consideration of representation in your film and stereotyping - use theory from G322 - 1 DONE

Questionnaire (and feedback) Get some feedback on your initial ideas! - 1 DONE

Diary of filming/editing etc with photos and screen grabs - 1 ---

Mood Board - 1 DONE

Script - 1 DONE

Practice titles created and uploaded - 1 DONE

Storyboard / Animatic - 1 DONE

Progress Target Setting

In order to complete the research towards our opening scene, our group needs to:

Step 1

Write a Script

Step 2

Draw a storyboard that follows the script that we just finished.

Step 3

Costumes, Makeup and Props

Step 4

FILM.

Step 5

Behind the scenes and video diaries.

By following these steps we will be 5 steps further into completing our film. This will also be followed by additional research such as looking into practicing titles for the film, documenting of influences on production and actor interviews...

Horror Makeup Research

Since we will be creating a short opening in the style of Horror, we have done some research of special effects makeup and costumes prior to filming. This will give us a vague idea on makeup design, if we are to go through with a character looking this way. In this video we are introduced to latex as a number one for special effects makeup, if we end up using this look, we will research further into ways on getting this look. This video highlights the specific utensils needed, and colours used to create a deadly look. Special effects consists of great skill, however practice makes perfect!
Posts on special effects will be uploaded before the short opening, showing how we proceeded to achieve the looks we went for, whether villain or victim.

Equipment Prep for Opening 2 Minutes

Equipment List:

In order to capture the best shots we can, we will be using two cameras.
This will be easier for us to enable the shot-reverse-shot look.

There will be only two of us participating in this project, therefore
we will be in charge of a camera each.

We do not own any lighting equipment,
so  will try and make use of any natural lighting possible, or even lamps and    fluorescent bulbs if shooting indoors.

We will be using a tripod to shoot long stills, or establishing shots
for better stability. Tripod's are handing for all purposes, whether it be for close-ups or long shots, we are aiming for the best movie quality we can, so little shakiness, unless we are going for that sinister feel...

Horror Movie Poster Fonts and Typography Research

1980's Horror Poster Titles:

Blood is usually associated with the Horror genre, therefore, highly contrasted vivid red colours are used to symbolize blood and death in this case, with a slight curve to the fonts, or even blood dripping from beneath. 

These images tend to portray a slasher feel, due to the slanted angle, and handwritten style, inferring that it was written by the killer, these give off eerie and sinister atmospheres, which instantly let the audience know that the movie is a horror. 

The fonts picked are usually really cheap looking or tacky, despite spending a large budget on the production, little is used to interpret the horror look. 

Typical end credits usually consist of blurred out 70/80's looking fonts, these really define the horror look, colours of either red, or orange, these colours associate with "Halloween" as you would identify this with pumpkins...

Composition + Framing Research

In this Youtube video, by Simon Cade, we are introduced to how to capture the perfect shots to express emotion and feelings within a film. Depth is vital when exploring the elements of filmmaking, it can really make or break a film. Prior to my opening scene, i will be researching and practicing my composition skills, to achieve the most creative shots i can.

Ideal Horror Movie Locations

What is a Horror without the creepy woods, or abandoned apartments?

A successful Horror has either of the following locations:

1.The Wilderness/Woods

2. Asylum

3.Abandoned houses or apartments

4. Motels or Hotels

5. Cellars / Basements / Attics

6. A Long windy road in the middle of nowhere

Target Audience: Mood Board

The target demographic for the genre of horror is the 15-25 male audience, who are drawn in by the suspenseful sound effects and creepy atmospheres and props. Masks are generally a hit with this genre due to the idea of no identity, along with a sinister feel.  

Above we have compiled a mood board of relevant images in order to help influence our creative vision for our opening two minutes.

Certification of a 15 Horror

Horror tends to apply to the 15 or 18 age restriction certificate, depending on the intensity of violence and gore. However most focus on being 15, to attract a greater audience.

Features of a 15 Film:

- Strong Violence
- Sexual scenes or references
- Inappropriate Language
- Involvement or use of drugs

In a 15, sexual content can be shown, but not to the great amount of detail an 18 would portray. Nudity can be shown to an extent. Violence can also be shown, however strong sadistic violence is highly unlikely for this age. All features of a 15 must be shown carefully, due to the impact and encouragement it can cause on young influential teens, such as misuse of drugs, and sexual harassment.

How would YOU rate a Horror Film?

It's hard to judge whether a Horror is in fact scary or not, everyone has a different level of fear.
To determine the rating of a Horror, you would usually base it on the amount of gore and detail shown. An overall rating is typically decided on behalf of the viewers, these reviews are submitted to worldwide film websites such as Rotten Tomatoes or IMDB.

There are several perspectives of "Scary" in Horror, whether disturbing, gruesome, or suspenseful. The Horror genre is proven to be quite popular with young teens and adults, between 15 and 25. This particular audience tend to be interested in the thrill, and feeling different emotions. Horror films are a great way to spend a Saturday night with your friends or partner. Males seem to be more into Horror due to a stereotypical portrayal of men loving gore and violence.

What Makes a Successful Horror Movie?

In approach to making a two minute opening to a Horror, I have done research relating to this specific genre:

This YouTube Video, uploaded by "TheMingThing" shares the knowledge of how to make a Horror Movie in a humorous manner. Beginning with Colour Grading, we are introduced to the concept of "taking the happy out of it" by doing so we decrease the saturation and give a blue/green tint, expressing a darker eerie feel. 

A successful Horror consists of the usual conventions or cliche's, from the location, to the situation. For example, this video shows three teens going back into a school at night, where one is portrayed as the "let's get the hell out of here" wimp, one being the scared of absolutely nothing non believer, and the other just being the reason they're there in the first place. In many cases, we are also introduced to a character who is there as a sign of warning, but no one ever listens to them....

 A build up of Music and sound effects are vital to accomplishing the element of fear in Horror. Unsuspected jumps and loud sounds build up the viewers fear, this creates suspense which leads the audience to be on the edge of their seat. If your horror film focuses on either the undead or spirit kind, it is good to show the use of moving objects and creaking doors. This then leads to the obvious move of disappearing friends and voices sneaking in the bachground. In an attempt to find your friends, you happen to feel followed, this is done by shots that show figures walking past, and a middle shot of the character shocked and looking at their surroundings. This is followed by the confrontation of the ghost, leading to other events along with suspenseful music and sound effects, most likely resulting into a death or escape route. 

HORROR

The Horror Genre focuses on evoking a negative or emotional reaction on the audience by portraying events or situations that put the viewer on the edge of their seat.
Horrors tend to reveal nightmares, fears, and monsters from beyond the dead.

From  The classics of "Frankenstein" "Dracula" and "Nightmare on Elm Street" to the modern interpretations of horrors like "Paranormal Activity" and "The Gallows", horror typically consists of dark eerie atmospheres involving jump scares, and the undead. Ghosts and spirits beyond the grave are usually popular in this genre, as there are several true stories behind the supernatural. The atmospheric portrayal and darkness of ghosts intrigues viewers to watch more of this content, as jump scares are profoundly used, resulting in engaging and gripping films.

The Rules of Continuity in editing

- Shot Reverse Shot - 

This is a film technique which is applied during scenes where there are several characters, this is usually where dialogue is shown between two characters. This links to the 180 degree rule, as this characters looking back and forth at each other.

- Match-on-Action - 

This refers to when one shot cuts to another that depicts the result, or continuation of an action that was shown in the previous shot. This "matches" the action. Match on action creates a continuous feel of time to the shots, as the shot cuts do not tend to be noticeable.

- The 180°Rule -

This is considered an essential to filmmaking and continuity editing. When done wrong, it will affect the overall outlook on the scene, but in some cases, may be an effect the director intended. The purpose of this rule is that the camera should stay on the same side throughout every shot of the scene. When the camera moves across the other side, it is identified as "crossing the line"....

Classic (Yet frustrating as hell) Horror Cliche's

These are few of many cliche's expressed in the HORROR Genre:

1. "The Trip Up"

Now excuse me if i say this, but it's just ironic that the victim who's being chased happens to incidentally trip or fall over a twig or pebble, i guess this is supposed to build up the tension, but in other words, it makes the audience want to throw a rock at the screen, 

2. "Clueless Parents"

Its typical that in a teen slasher or even any type of horror, we are introduced to the parents who show no sign of understanding or belief to the circumstances, "oh, you have hand marks and bruises on your back, silly you..."

3. I call this the "i'm willing to be killed" moment

In about 99% of horror's we will almost definitely witness the stupid act of a character openly asking "is anyone there?" literally asking to be killed, however in a realistic scenario, the person would probably hide in a closet, jump out the window, or most likely "tweet" for help.

4. "I've lost my friend so lets shout even louder to draw the killer's attention"

This is probably one of the most frustrating cliche's out there, you'd be a fool to draw even more attention to yourself whilst you are on your last lifeline. The first thing that should come to your thoughts is to use this chance to get the hell outta there!

5."The arise of the Killer"

This is when the hero finally kills the killer, and then waits around in relief like what's done is done, but to their astonishment, the killer miraculously arises to conclude with a fight, defeat, or chase scene.

Poltergeist (2015) - Opening Scene Analysis

- Analysis -

The opening scene starts off with dramatic movements of pixels, along with the sound of monster like noises, and uneasiness, this is then followed with a gradual development of the non-diegetic sound of intensifying thriller like sounds. This then sets the genre of the movie.

As this increases, we immediately associate this with a horror genre. But this then transitions into the fading out of the music and we are shown what the pixels actually were; a graphic zombie, in which was a character on a game we see the young boy playing.
The non-diegetic sounds of the zombies and dark music cut off as the boys headphones are pulled off of him. This could be interpreted as this is all just in his head. This transistions into the introduction of the introduction to the family of characters. This changes the audiences assumption as we associate families with laugh-out-loud's or kid classics. As the young boy begins to fight with his mum, we pick up the attitude of the rest of the family, such as maturity of the youngest who claims that her brothers puke from last time was "smelly", this is when we are shown the eldest, who is shown to be the rebellious teen who hates spending time with her family, this is inferred through her close up
facial expression, and mis-en-scene. We also see this through the fact she calls her brother "dumbass" and rolls her eyes. We are introduced to the dialogue of this scene that shows us that they are new to the neighborhood and are moving into a new house, this is a horror cliche as we think of new house, old ghosts, when it comes to this. The kids are shown to wear normal casual, this suggests that they are a regular suburban family, who are going to regret the decision of ever moving from their ghost deprived old house.
The last shot shown is a mid shot of the family in their car as they have missed their destination on the GPS, their facial expressions drop from utter confusion but this then follows to smiles as the youngest raises her arms and shouts "wee" as they make a sudden turning, we hear in the background an gradual eerie non-diegetic sound of bells and string instruments, these set of sounds infer the tension and thriller to this film.

The Messenger (2015) / Robert Sheehan - Opening Scene Analysis

- Analysis -

The opening sequence to "The Messenger" begins with a long shot of the main character out of focus, with a gradual effect of him sharpening as he comes closer to the foreground. this is introduced by the diegetic sound of aeroplanes in the background, which is accompanied by an increasing non-diegetic sound of a piano piece, which is in the minor key, suggesting that this movie will be a drama or horror/thriller. As the character walks closer, we see him giving the audience eye contact, inferring the intimacy and connection we will have to the character.
This then cuts to a low angle shot showing the main character perched up against a wall, looking around as if he were anxious at that current time, in the background of the shot we can hear the diegetic sound of a train, this implies the location of his whereabouts, which would be at or close to a railway track. This shortly cuts to a walking pace mid shot of the character, as we are shown his arm movements and facial expressions. The character appears to be wearing scruffy, dirty clothes, followed with a muddy face and greasy hair - this suggests that the character is in a bad state.
He continues to look around every now and then, as if he were being followed. This transitions into a long establishing shot of the character walking past a church, whilst the diegetic sound of birds chirping and church bells ringing echoes throughout the shot. The non-diegetic sound of the piano slightly builds up emphasis to the dramatization, along with a slight eerie atmosphere towards the movie. The camera proceeds to follow the character on his commute home or wherever he is headed, this suggests a stalker feel to these shots, as if someone were following him.
As the music gets slightly faster, we see the character build up his pace, as he looks fairly anxious, and paranoid, his footsteps become heavier, and his posture slouches down, creating an uneasy tension. He proceeds to walk this way, with the occasional fast head turn, to see if someone were behind him. The head turn shot cuts to another angle as he does this, building up tension, and curiosity. The pace of the non-diegetic is only slightly sped up, and the characters foot movement is increased. The character is shown to have his hands in his jacket pocket, inferring that he is an isolated and restricted person, he keeps to himself, he is alone. There is a really clever still establishing long shot of the character walking, in which emphasizes the whole uneasy outlook on the movie. In the background we hear dogs barking, showing that he may be in a rough area. We are then introduced to a sliding shot of the character as he looks up, we see his facial expression become confused and shocked, as there is a man standing on the top of a building, on the vurge of jumping. This is when we are introduced to the characters everyday life...

Introduction to opening scene:

I have been focusing on the horror genre to capture my opening scene. I will be looking towards portraying an eerie atmosphere and progressing to show snippets of cliche horror attributes...

G321 Preliminary Task

Evaluation and Analysis:

Our Preliminary task doesn't exactly follow a plot, however, is more of an experimentation of different camera angles and shots, in approach to our opening two minutes of a short horror. Throughout this task, we explored shot/reverse shot and match cut in particular, this shots create the effect of suspense, along with the chosen no-copyright music. despite the decent editing skills, the shots show lack of skill through the shakiness and quick cuts. We used several different techniques for composition and camera angles, some good, others not so much.  The use of panning, upgraded the decency of the task, as it looked more sophisticated, however was fairly shaky. The use of a black screen indicated the passing of time, however this wasn't too clear to the viewer, but the way the lights were off in the next scene, shows hints to the different time of the day. The low angle shots are very effective, but weren't displayed the best way that they could have. The use of the medium shot of Aishah walking, filmed behind her, creates a mysterious tone to the atmosphere, and develops the tension. A fair amount of the shots create a monotone and glum feel, which adds to the genre of this short clip, whilst emphasising the mood of this. It was a good idea to use this chance to experiment angles, this was done by  using a distorted angle when Aishah walks past to meet me. This is rather engaging to the audience. 

SKYFALL (2012) - OPENING SCENE ANALYSIS

The opening shot begins with Daniel Craig (James Bond) falling further and further into the deep ocean, This shot is more so a medium shot, which gives us an insight to what is happening at the current situation. This is proceeded to be represented through various camera angles, inferring the importance of the character, these consist of high angle, establishing, and long shot. The use of CGI is highly developed throughout the opening minutes. This is really clever because it engages the audience. The use of red and silhouettes sets the genre, as we are introduced to guns, blood, action themed scenarios. Towards the end we are shown a kaleidoscope filter which connotes confusion and is generally pretty cool to look at..

A wide range of these shots focus on setting the scene, e.g - the ocean.

This whole scene creates a dream sequence or hallucination to the viewer. 

THE SHINING (1980) - OPENING SCENE ANALYSIS

As the opening sequence begins, we are introduced to an establishing shot to show the audience where the movie is going to be set. This shot shows the perimeter of a lake, of which creates the concept of the movie being held within open land, far away from help - the cliche of many horrors, this represents the isolation of the setting. This along with the non-digetic soundtrack infers the loneliness and likeliness of a horror story line - with an eerie atmosphere, which instantly intrigues the audience, there are slight remarks of echoes, showing the emptiness of the surroundings. This creates suspense and is engaging. The way this is set in broad daylight subverts the typical horror scenario (night time) and beings to develop the contrast we are looking for. 

The way the camera does not smoothly flow across the lake shows uneasiness and creates tension and confusion - but this is slightly toned down due to it being set in daylight as opposed to the fright of night. This then transitions into a tilting motion which gives the audience a feel as if they were exploring the setting and following the car along.  The birds eye view of the road creates the illusion of the car being miniature and inferior to its surroundings. 

CHILDREN OF MEN (2006) - OPENING SCENE ANALYSIS

We begin the opening scene with an overcrowded coffee shop, where we are shown locked eyes on a small TV set that is above them, It is aware that everyone is mesmerized by the TV set, besides a man who walks into the shop, this connotes the importance of his character as we are drawn to his actions. This then transitions into the camera following the man outside the shop. He pours a substance of what looks to be alcohol into his freshly bought coffee, this, along with him not caring about the news report, shows his feelings towards this dystopian world. It is likely he is an alcoholic as he has little enthusiasm and ambition in his life. The camera then continues to follow the man while displaying the small subtle features to the distorted world, we notice a blimp, poorly cared for streets, and several news advertisements on buildings. There are several tricycles, and the streets are paved with people and officers. We then see a 180 degree turn past the main character as we are shown an establishing shot, showing his surroundings and whereabouts. As this happens, it proceeds to stop while he places his flask into his jacket, and an explosion occurs in the coffee shop he had just left, this infers the chaos and troubles that occur in this dystopian world, this looks as if it isn't a rare occurrence. Unless we watch this opening scene several times, we will not notice that the lady limping from the cafe is in fact holding her own arm, this shows the strange and unusual things that happen, to the viewer, she does not look that scared.

AN EDUCATION (2009) - OPENING TITLES ANALYSIS

The opening credits are complimented by an up beat song "Floyd Cramer - On The Rebound" which indicates that this movie will not be a horror or drama. We already know that this is a Love Romance due to the movie poster, but there are mixed opinions to what this could be. We are then introduced to a medium shot, portraying what it seems to the viewer, a private girls secondary school - by the costumes shown, we know that this is set in the 1960's. This shot then follows the girls as they practice their posture the old fashioned way. This shot then transitions to a low angle shot of the school girls ballroom dancing with each other, indicating that this is merely a posh secondary school. The low angle begins to tilt upwards showing an establishing shot of the hall, this then begins to fade into the next scene where we witness cooking class, this starts with a close up shot of the girls whisking what looks like butter. We are then introduced to a long shot which shows a school girl walking across a street. The surroundings connote the season they are in, such as frost and damp concrete, we then see a mid shot of Jenny - who is wearing school attire. High angle shots are then displayed as we are shown of what looks like a playground as there are school girls hula-hooping, these shots glide across each other. this is then cleverly transitioned into the next shot as the camera moves to the right, the hula hoop acts as a transition into the next shot, as it swings we then proceed to some school girls breathing on a condensed window (typical British weather)  printing images with the palm of their hand - this shows that they are young girls. The next shot is an establishing shot of the girls sports team, this then rotates down towards the puddles where we see their reflection. Pure boredom by the school girls is then interpreted into the next shot as we are then directed to a class room, where half are asleep, and the other daydreaming whilst staring blankly into thin air; jenny is the only one taking into encounter what the teacher is saying. This portrays how important she is to the story as we are directly focused on her, and her expressions. 

NOW YOU SEE ME (2013) - OPENING SCENE ANALYSIS

Mise-En-Scene and Analysis:

The opening shot starts off as POV ( Point of View) as J. Daniel Atlas, also known as Jesse Eisenberg, introduces his magical illusion capabilities. The Characters are huddled together to witness a card trick, of which astonishes the crowd as one of the crowd's card is projected onto a skyscraper behind J. Daniel Atlas. The soundtrack begins to build up during this encounter, leading up to a big finale of the trick and a louder tone of music as you witness the audience cheer and are left speechless. This then transitions into the next main character, Merritt McKinney, played by, Woody Harrelson, as he proceeds to portray the con-man look. There is a strong use of close up shots and extreme close up shots, demonstrating how the target feel and their look of shock and emotions, these different shots are shown through different camera angles and are quickly flashed from shot to shot when Merritt is conning the Man out of his money, in prevention of a divorce from his loyal wife. This confrontation also has a high use of over the shoulder shots, portraying the conversation. As the scene ends, it then cuts into an extreme long shot, following a speed boat, then a rough walk by shot towards the introduction of the next main character.

The following character is fellow Jack Wilder, played by, Dave Franco. We are introduced to his as more of a con-man than an actual illusionist like the others...He approaches a few sightseers in the hope to produce a generous amount of money from the gullible pairs of eyes. The Crowd are portrayed as a bunch of floating wallets, only there for his success. These shots are mainly from the crowds perception, some are still, and some follow the crowds eyes. 

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971) - OPENING SCENE ANALYSIS

Mise-en-scene and Analysis:

Stanley Kubrick, who I believe to be an incredible director, directed "A Clockwork Orange" starring Malcolm McDowell who plays the psychotic nutcase known as Alex, who leads a gang to Rape, Violence and Crime. The opening Begins with a screen of Red as the introduction of "Funeral of Queen Mary" plays in the background, this creates an eerie atmosphere and devilish feel to the movie. It gradually builds up as credits appear and the flash of the blue screen that follows which then proceeds back to Red. We are then introduced to the Main Character, Alex, with a close up shot of him slowly breathing, whilst looking at the camera, we are shown his signature fake eyelashes that appear on both upper and lower lids. This shot then proceeds to elongate as we are shown who he is sitting next to; his "so called" gang of criminals, also described as "droogs" by alex. They are dressed in all white, with black top hats and Black boots, this interprets the idea of them being a "gang". They are shown sitting, all in possession of milk, with erotic sculptures surrounding themselves. Alex then describes his gang by their first names, and explains what he is doing at that current time, the shot still continues to lean away from the subjects, creating a long shot, showing the people around him, and his location. The location is reported to be a modernized Korova milk bar, where the milk was believed to "sharpen you up, and make you ready for a bit of the old ultra-violence".

INTRODUCTION TO MYSELF

I guess if i wasn't a dedicated lover towards Film and TV, I would not have taken this course...

So by that comment, here's what i think about that:

When it comes to film, it is vital that the movie actually means something to me, makes me feel and empathize with the characters or story line. Yes, there are incredible movies floating around out there, but do they all make me feel something? Make me better myself? Or even think differently? I believe a great movie consists of making the audience think. 

I cant really say i have a "favorite" movie or genre, because there are so many ones out there that i have taken to heart. I'm a huge fan girl when it comes to 80's movies, or independent coming of age dramas. Movies set in "High school" or "college" can either let me empathize with those of the unpopular kids at school, feel involved or even get me looking forward to going to College/University. I enjoy watching movies that are intense, or involve similar issues to my life, broken families, losing friends, or even mental health issues. 

If it weren't for movies or TV, I, nor would many people be able to escape reality, it offers a chance to forget about your troubles, and either make you laugh, cry, or even jump....depending on how you're feeling. It's easier to press play or pause on a movie whenever we want, but life is a straight forward direction to love, heartbreak, loss, and hope. 

And that folks, is all i have to say about that....

....For now.