Animatic Trailer - Get Out

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Edit Decision List – Camera One from alicesoph96

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SURVEY- WHAT SHOULD I CALL MY HORROR FILM

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Call Sheet

Call sheet from alicesoph96

Technical Trials

Shoot List

Shoot list from alicesoph96

Location Scouting Sheets

Location Scouting Sheets from alicesoph96

Studio Site Plan

Motel Site Plan

Shoot Plan

Planning for Film Shoot from alicesoph96

What I Have Done so Far

What I Have Done so Far and What I Have Left to do from alicesoph96

Storyboard

Talent Release Form

Talent Release Form from alicesoph96

Risk Assessments

Risk Assessment – Motel from alicesoph96

Risk Assessment – Photography Studio from alicesoph96

Proof of Permission to use Motel Location

As I could not meet with Mr. James, I instead sent him all the information via email, and got permission via email. This email included a disclaimer to ensure him that the property would not be damaged, and that he held no responsibility if someone go injured or equipment damaged while on his property. 

Disclaimer attached to email sent to owner of property;

Disclaimer from alicesoph96

Talent Release Forms - Covering Trailer and Ancillary

Location Release Form - Ancillary

Sample Script

Script from alicesoph96

Edited version due to location change after initial ideas and film name change after shooting. 

Production Company Development

Name Ideas; 

This mind map shows the process and ideas I went through to chose my production company name. I decided to put the names; Studio 666, Paranormal Productions and Scream Screen to the vote as I think they show the horror genre best and sound effective. When discussing these three ideas, we decided that Studio 666 sounds better as has more of a "Hollywood" sound to it while also giving a clear horror reference due to 666 which is typically known as the number of the devil. The other two ideas are good, however do not fit as well nor give the same effect. For example; Paranormal Productions sounds more related to ghost films such as The Conjuring (2013) and not a bloody slasher film which is what my movie is.

Research; 

These three existing horror film production company logos have given me inspiration when it comes to making my own. I like these as they are relatively simple and not overly dramatic such as Universal logo is. Although these logos above are quite simple, they are really effective and show clear links to the horror genre, through colour, texture and image. A very good example of this is the Lionsgate logo which uses images in the background of flames and smoke which looks a bit like a representation of hell. The Twisted Pictures logo is also good, as the shadow gives the text a mysterious look while the image in the middle of the two words gives a more direct visual indication of the horror genre. The simplest of them all is the Hammer logo which just shows the red text central to the composition. Although this is the case, it is still clear that it is a horror production company due to the red colour used which is linked to blood and similar horror connotations. All of the above use a black background which is typical in most logos not just horror as the black makes the colours, image and text stand out more dramatically. 

Out of all of the images I have looked at above, the one that I like the most and am getting the most ideas from is the Lionsgate one as although it is relatively simple, it isn't overly simple and i want to include some images to make the logo stand out more and be more memorable. 

I chose to include this video to give examples of animation and sound as it shows two different companies which I have looked at. The first one shown is Lionsgate which in comparison to Twisted Pictures is clearly the more established company due to how theatrical the intro is. 

In terms of sound, both use fitting sound that matches the pace of the animation. With Lionsgate, the sound is quite ominous and ghostly giving a spooky horror feel that matches the movie that is about to start. There is also synchronous sound to match the turning of the wheels and the door creaking open. This synchronous sound is also related to the horror theme as they sound rusty, creaky and echoey like you would hear in an abandoned building. 

The sound used for Twisted Pictures is more lively, and to me it doesn't sound very conventional of the horror genre. Although, it does sound quite metallic and matches the movement of the wire. This does give indications of a slasher film such as Hostel (2005) but not the horror genre more generally. 

With animation, both use it well to illustrate their logos in different ways. For example, with Lionsgate there is a sort of journey through a factory and through large doors to the actual logo itself and flames. This I think looks really good and works well with an established company, however, with a smaller company it could come across as a bit pretentious. 

The animation used for Twisted Pictures is a lot simpler, with the image being changed and distorted and not showing a journey like in  the Lionsgate one. This I think works well as the wire is constricting the text which links in quite strongly to the slasher themes of the film it is on which is Saw (2010)/ 

In terms of sound, I am most likely going to use sound similar to what is in Lionsgate as I like the creepy, ominous sound that leads up to the film, in contrast to the sound used by Twisted Pictures which I feel is not as exciting and interesting. In terms of animation, I want to create something with influences from both intros - as I like the fire of the Lionsgate logo and the Simplicity of the Twisted Pictures logo. 

Skeleton Layouts for Ancillary Tasks; Poster and Magazine Cover

Locations

I decided to look at two different abandoned locations as settings for my film. Both locations had positive and negative aspects, and as well as looking at how the location would work in correspondence to my ideas, I had to look at the more practical side as well such as accessibility and how well lighting would work.

Location 1;
This location has quite a few postives that would work really well with my film, with the location fitting well into the story. One of the positives of this location is how spread out the building is with quite a few doorways and entrances into different parts as well as having a small outhouse. This will come in really useful when shooting scenes where the girl is running away or the murderer is sneaking up behind someone. Another positive about this location is the fact that is is not near any shops/houses etc so not only will that look good in the film, but make filming easier and run smoother due to lack of people around who could get in the way of shots. Another positive about this location is how overgrown the grounds are which the building(s) are on. This would make for good shots, camera angles and chase/hide scenes. This location also has a dip in the land which has filled up to create a pond. This would also come in handy in relation to the events of my film.
Although this poses as a very good location, there are negatives to take into consideration. Firstly, the fact that it is not local, meaning that it is harder to get too. Also relating to this point, the nearest you can get with a car is about a mile down the road, meaning that it would take a few journeys to carry up equipment and props. Another negative point is lack of electricity/lighting/street lights. As I plan to film at night to get the right effect of a horror film, I do need some form of light, and getting some will prove a challenge, however this will occur at most locations. Health and Safety is another issue to look at. Prior to filming and letting any one into the buildings, I will have to thoroughly make sure it is safe in terms of broken glass and other potential dangers to the actors/actresses and anyone else helping out as part of crew,

 

Location 2; 

This location initially looked really good for my shoot and had a lot of positives, but once I visited it, and looked at it in relation to my film and practical elements, it was not as great as it first seemed. Although this was the case, it has got a few positive points. Firstly, it is only a short distance from where I live making it very accessible and easy to get to, not only for me but for the actors/actresses and anyone else involved. Another positive point is the rooms in the building. There are corridors with different ruined rooms leading off from them, including a room with a wall of cracked mirrors which would look good in the film. Another positive about the building is it is a bit of a maze, and in a confused frantic state, the final girl could easily get lost, trip up, etc with the murderer following her which would result in good footage. 

Although these positives are quite strong, the negatives do outweigh them. One negative is that this location is situated right next to a busy road and path and is accessible to anyone. Not only does this mean people getting in the way of filming but doesn't fit in with the idea of the girls getting lost in the woods. Another problem is the lighting. Even in the middle of the day, I could see very little in the building without a torch and this would be even worse at night which would make a negative impact on my filming and resultant footage. Another thing about this location is that all the rooms are joined and part of one building. Although this can result in some good footage, the film would work better with a slightly hidden, detached building for the antagonist to hide out in.

Conclusion; 

After carefully looking at both of these locations, I have decided that I am going to use the first location due to various reasons including its remote location, the building, the overall feel of the place and the lighting is slightly better, although still a slight problem which will need solving.

Update; 
After going to check the location once more for lighting, I discovered that it had been permanently boarded up meaning I could not get in to shoot. This resulted in me finding a new location that I could easily get to. I decided on using the abandoned Stansted Motel in Takeley which I have previously used on a photo shoot. This will be better as I have better accessibility to the location, and can get to a power source easier, therefore removing the problem about lighting. 

Film Title Ideas