Contributor Release Form

I made my own contributor release form for the actors staring in my film to sign. This gives me consent and permission for me to upload the film online to YouTube. This also clears me legally in the case of injury and/or death of a person during production.

Director Analysis: Wes Craven

I decided to do a textual analysis of perhaps the most well known and best horror film directors: Wes Craven.

Craven was best known for creating the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise featuring the Freddy Krueger character, directing the first installment and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, and co-writing A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

Craven also directed all four films in the Scream series, and co-created the Ghostface character. Some of his other films include The Hills Have Eyes, The Last House on the Left, The People Under the Stairs, Red Eye, The Serpent and the Rainbow, and Vampire in Brooklyn.

Craven's works tend to share a common exploration of the nature of reality. For instance, A Nightmare On Elm Street focused on the consequences of dreams in real life. I had a similar idea for one of my proposed films as I'm wanting to create the same effect of 'real life horror'. 

In Scream, the characters frequently reference horror films similar to their situations, and at one point Billy Loomis tells his girlfriend that life is just a big movie. This is an exceptional use of 'reverse psychology' on the audience and creates the exact effect of 'this isn't a movie, this is real life' that I'm going to try and recreate in my film. 

Cravens work tended to share a common exploration of the nature of reality. Night mare on elm street focused on the consequences of dreams in real life. In Scream the characters constantly reference other horror films that are similar to the situation they're in.
I want to do this as well as I believe true horror films leave a lasting effect on the audience and make them go home believing what they have just watched could happen to them. 

StoryBoard

I drew my opening scene of my short horror film. My artistic work is appalling so I may use another method for storyboarding the rest of the film however this was just a trial method and helps me to film regardless.  

What I've Learnt From My Music Video

Music video knowledge from 09loweja

Lights Out Short Horror Film

Lights out is a short horror film that is roughly 2 minutes long. It was produced by the public and wasn't part of any major production/ distribution company therefore being made on a very little budget. It was first brought to my attention via Facebook as it was shared on my news feed. I instantly made a connection with the film and decided to do an analysis of it as I am in the exact same shoes as the people who made it, in terms of budget, actors, equipment etc.

The story starts with an establishing shot of a block of average flats, setting the scene for the audience. This also enlightens me on the fact that the producers haven't gone to any extravagant locations to film, they've literally used their own living space.

Next we see a mid-shot of the actress coming out of what appears to be the bathroom and walking along the hallway to the light switch. The mine-en-scene is her dressed in ordinary female bed wear and what you would expect to see in your average flat, i.e a coat stand.

As the actress turns on the light, that is when we first see the appearance of the 'villain' in the dark at the end of the hallway. We see no details, such as the face, gender, clothing, or figure of said villain, just a silhouette in the dark. This is the exact same effect Im trying to achieve as it 'plays on peoples everyday fears'. It will also make the viewer jump at the same time, but not in the incredibly dull way jump scares do as in the paranormal activity films. This also stays with the audience and leaves a lasting impression with them when they get home. Oddly, theres also no music played throughout the film, amazingly this actually adds to the suspense even more as it kinda makes the viewer feel like they're actually there in the film!

Im considering using this similar effect in my film as I think it gives the film a unique twist and creates a more realistic feel for the audience.

We then see the actress turn the light on, to find the figure gone, she turns it off to see it return, this happens a few times. The camera angle is that of an over the shoulder shot, giving the impression that we are stood behind her, this camera angle also doesn't change throughout the 'light on, light off'. This creates the effect of being frozen in place and unable to take your eyes off the hallway. Id like to use this effect to in my short horror film as it creates the 'as if you're actually in the film' feel Im aiming to create.

On the fifth time she turns the light off, the creature appears in a different but closer spot, making the audience jump again but not as a cheesy jump scare.

We then see the horror in the actresses face via mean of a close up camera shot. Out of fear she tapes the light switch shut to leave the light on as she sleeps, this also plays on peoples fears, especially kids as they leave the light on as they are afraid of the dark.

Film Network- Film Making Guide

I was sent a link to a film making guide on the BBC website about how to make a good short film.

Reading the website has helped me decide on my final film idea by telling me what to do and what to avoid. To avoid involve: using friends who aren't talented actors in my film as apparently one bad actor can ruin a film considerably, thankfully, lots of my friends study drama and performing arts so I have no worries there.

I was also told to avoid clichés as it will ruin the film and make it predictable and subsequently boring. So, I have used original ideas of my own anyway and I said in my pitch that I would avoid clichés such as jump scares like they did in the paranormal activities. However, one interesting piece of advice I found was: even if you are using an unoriginal idea, try looking at it from a different perspective and use the idea to tell your version of events rather than recreate the original directors story, by doing this you could possibly end up with a completely different narrative altogether.

When it comes to script writing for short films, its harder because you no time/ have to develop your characters quickly and condense your story. Short films are ruined by over written/ under developed scripts all the time. Once the script is written, I've been told to ask strangers and friends. I can do this by posting my script on social media sites etc and ask friends in person. I've been told to ask strangers as well as friends as friends may be to scared to give constructive feedback, in case of offending me.

I've also been put at ease on my target viewers, as the article tells that audiences are mostly subjective and only appeal to a certain niche over a mass audience.

Another and perhaps the most important piece of advice on the website, is that short films have to grab the audiences attention from the start, I've taken this on board and consequently changed my film idea. I had originally intended on having a gradual build up however my new idea opens on a high to capture the audience then gradually build up again to its final climax.

Feedback on pitch

 

This is the feedback I got back from my pitch for the short horror film I'm going to produce.

 

I'm going to edit my pitch and upload it to my blog soon, however this is a quick 'things to consider' at the minute.

I was told to consider my settings on where to film, with proposed scenes shot in London, I was told to take into account the fact that London is a more populated area so people may be more likely to take action against something they perceive as dangerous. This goes against my original idea, as I felt that people in London would be less likely to be shocked at the sight of someone filming because London is one of the 'film hubs' of the world.

However, with the current threat level being 'severe' of a terrorist attack in London, I've decided to not film there as people may be a bit more cautious and likely to call the police should they see something out of the ordinary- https://www.mi5.gov.uk/home/the-threats/terrorism/threat-levels.html

Ideas for Short Horror Film

I've had several idea for my short horror so I've decided to list them all and ask for feedback from friends on what would be the best and efficient film to produce. Here they are:

Dreams can come true:

A film about a boy who has nightmares of demons tormenting him, torturing then finally killing him. He awakens to find out it was just a dream. At school he keeps seeing the demon from his dream throughout the day, reflections in mirrors, windows, has visions of the demon becoming the teacher etc. He goes to bed the next night and is suddenly awoken to find the demon at the bottom of his bed, ends on cliff hanger.

St'orker:

A girl is on her way home from school and keeps thinking she is being followed. She looks over her shoulder only to see no one there, as she carries on walking, she becomes more and more paranoid that someone is behind her, in her desperate bid to get home she takes a short cut through a graveyard and hides behind a headstone, to her horror she sees a hooded man walk through the graveyard looking for her, enlightening us on the fact that she was indeed being followed. She waits for him to go before running home and convincing herself that he was just some pervert. That night she's home alone doing work when she looks out of her window and thinks she seems someone walk past. She locks the doors, runs upstairs and calls her parents, she peers out of the window again to see him at the bottom of the drive. She then hers the stalker open the gate and try the door handles, by this point she's to scared to call the police and the sounds have all gone quiet.

Conversion to Short Horror Film

I have decided to change my idea from a music video to a short horror film.

The reasoning behind my choice is because I have more experience in the film industry over the music and I'm now working alone. To create a music video I would probably need more than one person to help film, edit, etc.

However, I've previously produced short horrors solo before, so this will be nothing out of the norm for me and working alone will actually help for this task rather than hinder me.

There's also been an influx of short horror films being shot in the North of England, not far from where I live:

http://www.castingnow.co.uk/auditions/acting-auditions/dreamscape-a-film-about-a-young-woman-who-has-had-nightmares-11962

http://www.castingnow.co.uk/auditions/acting-auditions/main-actor-19-26-for-independent-horror-film-able-to-speak-w-11749

This will allow me to get extra help should I need it, I could also email local directors for advice and tips on how to get an overall quality product.

Best CD covers and music videos

I've decided to do perhaps the most famous and iconic album cover of all time: The Beatles famous Abbey Road crossing, released in 1969 the band had originally intended to film at Mount Everest however they couldn't be bothered to go. So, instead they decided to shoot at the zebra crossing just down the road from their studios. The entire session took 30 minutes to film in total.

Male Gaze Theory- Lara Croft

 

The Male Gaze theory states that most women in media are viewed through the eyes of a heterosexual male. The camera emphasises parts of the female body that appeal to the straight boys. For instance, Tomb Raiders' Lara Croft shot to fame for her sexual appeal; despite being a game creation and not real. During some interviews, Toby Gard has also claimed that he changed the character from male to female because he decided that if he had to stare at the character's backside for hours on end while designing and playtesting the game, it might as well be an attractive female backside—although this is assumed to be a joke on the part of Gard, poking fun at the attention Lara was receiving for her sex appeal and had little if any actual sway into the final decision to make Lara a woman.     
 There was even a 'nude raider' where Lara would lose her clothes and play the game naked, this was developed by fans and admirers of Lara, the game was never officially acknowledged by the original developers of Tomb Raider but proves that the Male Gaze theory is right.
There was even a film made based on the character of Lara Croft. Lara was played by well known Hollywood actress: Angelina Jolie. Jolie is well known for being extremely attractive and sexy, therefore being a perfect match for the role that's famed for the same thing.
We see Jolie wearing the same attire as Croft: Short shorts, tight crop top, high boots and gun holsters.
This could be argued as sexist by some people however, its simply reinforcing the male gaze theory that some women enjoy being looked at and found to be sexually appealing: such as beauty pageants and models. It can also be argued that males are represented in the same way; to be sexually appealing to females and homo/ bisexual males. Examples of these are characters such as James Bond: famed for being attractive and sleeping with lots of women.




In the video clip above, we see through the use of various close up camera angles of Lara how she is being sexualised. Such as when she opens her legs to avoid being hit by the robot. The scene wouldn't have been remembered or be as appealing to audiences if she was wearing loose trousers that hid all body features. There's also the clip where she reloads her guns; the camera is actually getting the audience to focus on her hips and breasts. There's also a mid shot scene that focus's in on her guns however the shot actually reveals the fact that she's wearing short shorts and enlightens the audience on her toned thigh muscles.

Film Director Case Study

I decided to do a case study on the director of one of my favourite films: Insidious directed by James Wann.



He has also worked on several other of my favourite and well known horrors such as: Saw, The Conjuring and even action films such as Furious 7.

Saw was famous for its use of gore and special effects, however in Insidious, he wanted to get away from that and sought total creative control so Wann produced the movie independently. Wann stated he wanted to create a film that used restraint and silence to create horror film. He got the idea off other films such as the Sixth Sense and The Others. Im a big fan of this as well, as I believe they make horror films far more enjoyable than the expected jump scare. In my opinion these type of films also have more of a story to them than films such as paranormal activity. Wann was also the creator of Billy The Puppet our of Saw. This has also inspired me to create and use props of my own.

The idea of having a real life story for my short film also sparks an idea for creating a type of documentary. Also, Wann has been basing his work on real life stories recently; this has also inspired me to base my film on local real life stories and furthers ideas for a documentary. There are lots of local legends around the Derbyshire which I could use as a concept or base the entire short film on.


One of Wanns biggest regrets is his film Dead Silence. He was forced to create and direct this film as a back up before Saw was released in case Saw was a flop. Wann said that he was out of ideas and was so stressed that it caused him to start smoking. Whilst I think that making a back up film is a good idea, Id much rather just film extra scenes then try mixing and matching to see what works best.

Children Of The Revolution -Textual Analysis

Children Of The Revolution was wrote by T.REX in 1972 and was the No. 2 selling song of the year.

The song is wrote in the genre of Glam Rock.

The music video itself reflects the conventions of glam rock, as the artists themselves are wearing glamorous and quite eccentric attire, even by todays standards. They're also wearing make up and have long curly hair. This backs up chandlers theory that particular genres will be based on the particular notions that they constitute; Glam rock having a glamorous music video.

Buckingham stated that genre is not so much given by the culture, but it is under constant negotiation and change. At the time this music video was produced, dressing in female clothing and wearing make up would have been outrageous, however in todays society that is perfectly acceptable.

Neale stated that genres are instance of repetition and differences, and mere repetitions would not attract audiences. This backs up the idea of controversy in music videos as some people believe that artists purposely aim for social outcry to gain themselves and the video more attention: such as Robin Thicke with his recent controversial 'Blurred Lines' music video.

This takes me back to the idea of cross dressing in the music video, we see through various camera angles: close ups of the eyeliner the artists are wearing, therefore implying that they want the make up to be seen. We also see through mid shots that all of the band are wearing eccentric clothing, once again reinforcing the idea that they are wanting the audience to see what they are doing and aiming for a reaction.

The kindest Cut- Carol Vernallis

Carol Vernallis' theory states that there is difference in film/ editing, role of editing in narrative, meaning and continuity also how image and sound are synchronised, and how editing reflects the music.


Continuity editing


Broken edits to draw attention to the screen and what is happening.


Edits


Allowed to draw attention to themselves deliberately to be interesting. E.g. Special effects.


Jump cuts


Used a lot to speed things up


Master Shot


Also known as the base track, gives the video structure.


Camera


Usually moves in time with the music to give more rhythm.






In The Heavys' Cant Play Dead music video, we see a lot of broken edits being used with some clips having a black and white filter over them and others having a quite rustic look. This draws attention to the screen as it gives the appearance of two stories being told instead of just one. This is also helped by the fact that the video is of little figurines and therefore made by stop motion animation.


We also see interesting effects such as writing across the screen, this draws the viewers attention in as they have to concentrate to read the writing. This however goes against the theory as the writing isn't the lyrics to the song so the viewer has to some what 'zone out' to read the writing and by doing so isn't listening to the song.


The song is quite powerful and has heavy beat to it which makes it difficult for the camera to move in time with the rhythm all the way through, however there is also a violin in the background and the camera does move in time with that. The camera gently pans and tracks in time with the violin to create the smooth rhythm feel.

Californication Storyboard

We had to storyboard the first few parts of the song 'Californication'. My drawing skills are indescribably poor. 

London Calling

This is my final video

Textual Analysis: Rhymes by Hannah Wants and Chris Lorenzo

For this textual analysis, I have decided to do a more modern techno song from 2014. The song is Rhymes by Hannah Wants and Chris Lorenzo.



The song, despite being modern has a quite retro filter over it to create the idea that it is being shot in the 1970 era. Through the mise-en-scene we see many old items such as Tv's with huge circular aerials on the backs. The actors are also dressed in clothing that was worn during that time period as the female is seen to be wearing a white turtle neck jumper, an icon of the late Steve Jobs, who at that time was also launching Apple. The thumbnail for the music video is also a female holding what looks like an old glass bottle, in the era its set, bottles were mostly used instead of cans and plastic bottles. The exceptional use of mine-en-scene is highlighted through several close up of the items such as VCRs and out dated cookers, this quickly communicates the time and context of which the song is set.
We also see an over the shoulder shot used showing the setting of a room and showing the viewer the haircuts of that time.

There is only one verse of the song which is repeated throughout, the actors don't sing the song except from one line each where there is a close up of the actors mouths.

The video has also been edited well, as it is made of various different short, few second long clips which match the sound and beat of the song. The clips all have the same filter placed over them which makes the video feel more continuous and as if they have all been shot by the same camera;  even where they obviously haven't such as in the clip where a nuclear device has been detonated, the producers won't have been able to actually detonate a nuclear warhead, however, they have made use of this by placing the filer over an already shot clip.

Significant Moments Of The Music Video

Arguably the first music video ever created was Disney's 'Fantasia' in 1941.

 

Despite being 8 minutes long, an animation and also part of a film. Some people still argue that this was the first music video ever produced as it is essentially music to motion pictures.

In the 1960's, artists gradually began producing the music videos we have today. However it mostly consisted of bands performing on stage and being recorded. This was mostly done on programmes such as Top of The Pops which would be broadcasted on TV, this was the main method for audiences who would watch to see the latest charts and songs.

During the 1960's, we also see people begin to use animation effects as shown in Diana Ross and the Supremes: Love Child.

 

As the 1970s began we see bands such as the BeeGees producing similar music videos as to what we have today. Their hit song 'Night Fever' shows modern day editing effects.



We also see the loss of 'instrumentals' in this video, just two years prior to this in their video 'Jive Talkin' a large part of this video consisted of them playing their instruments however in Night Fever we don't see this.

As the 2000's began we saw a revolution in terms of the music video through the introduction of  'Vevo' and 'YouTube'. For the first time, anyone with a camera and decent editing skills could film and upload their music videos to YouTube. YouTube allowed the introduction of artists such as Justin Bieber to be discovered by record labels who happen to be browsing online.
This also allowed already famous artists to upload their products online, to be viewed whenever and wherever for free.

1 Minute Music Video

For my second 1 minute music clip, I have decided to choose "London Calling".

 

London Calling by The Clash is one of my favourite songs and I have lots of different ideas for the music video.

I have lots of ideas and for the shoot, the best and perhaps most effective one is to go and video all the iconic landmarks in London and base the narrative on just a day out in the capital.

Once again, I am working on my own for this. This will make it easier for me as other people aren't willing or don't want to travel because of the costs involved. However, I am more than happy to go that extra length to create a good video. 

Happy Textual Analysis

Happy Textual Analysis:



'Happy' is a 4 minute long song, written, produced and performed by American singer Pharell Williams.

The song was released in 2013 as part of the soundtrack for the children's animation movie: Despicable Me 2.

Hundreds of different camera angles are used throughout the music video of lots of different people lip syncing and dancing to the song across America. They mainly focus of a mid shot to show the mise-en-scene.

There was also a 24 hour long Happy-thon which consisted of people all over the world dancing to Happy. This was all broadcasted live online for users to watch.  Happy Fans across the globe then began producing their own music videos and calling them 'Happy from...' then posting wherever they shot the video. This was done and uploaded to YouTube across the globe, all the way from Sydney to London.
This is a perfect example of Gauntlett's media 2.0 theory which states that users will generate their own content to upload and share online. Even though Pharell and companies perhaps won't be making any money from these and it does infringe on copyright, their product is getting broadcast to a mass audience on a global scale.

The reception theory states that audiences will interpret the text individually, all based on their own cultural and ethnic backgrounds. For instance in Iran, a group of young people who tried to recreate their own version of Happy were sentenced to jail and public flogging for breaking freedom of expression. In Iran, the country is strictly religious and governed on Islamic law. This is an extreme and saddening example of reception theory as those brought up under Islamic rule believe that 'Happiness' can only come from Allah and idolising western influences is wrong.

Story Boards for Preliminary Film

These are the story boards from the actual music video that I made myself. I used a word document and screenshotted each part of the video. Underneath, I placed a text box which contained the seconds each shot began and ended at, which helped considerably with timing. I also added in the lyrics which also helped so I knew which part and person sang what. 

 

Preliminary Song: Sleeping At Night

For my preliminary post, I have decided to do one of my favourite songs which is: 'Sleeping At Night' by Caught A Ghost.


The song is similar to that of 'Happy' by Pharrell in terms of editing and format.


I've decided to go against recreating the Happy music video as everyone is doing that and I'm not mainstream like all the other basic people in my class.

Day Filming in Luton

Part of my preliminary music video consisted of a 3 second sequence of a train station, so I decided to go to Luton to get the shot. 

I caught the 0709 service there and got several different clips using my camera phone; I had to use my camera phone as to use the DSLR; I would have had to applied for permission to shoot there and that can take several weeks or maybe even months to gain. 

I used my own iPhone 6+ which has a just as good 1080p front facing camera 

Textual Analysis: I Want To Break Free by Queen

Textual Analysis
For my textual analysis of a song which was made before 1998; I decided to analyse one of my favourite songs and music videos: I Want To Break Free, by Queen.




I Want To Break Free was a highly controversial music video in 1984 as it consisted of all male members of Queen dressed as women. It was banned on MTV in America which caused Freddie Mercury the lead vocalist to refuse to tour America again. However, in the UK and rest of the world, the video and song were hit successes being used as a fight against oppression.

The video was also a parody of Hit UK Soap Opera: Coronation Street as all the members were suppose to represent a character from the TV show.

The second part of the video then takes place dancing with the Royal Ballet as Freddie Mercury had an ambition to bring 'ballet to the masses'.  Back in the Coronation Street house Freddie two-steps from the kitchen to the living room, Freddie added this in as improvisation in the hope that someone would notice.

The dancing part of the video was choreographed by Wayne Eagling, however despite being a born performer, Freddie didn't like any choreographed act himself so he was mostly picked up and moved around during the ballet part of the video. Wayne organised the rehearsals with the Royal Ballet in secret from his superiors; something which got him into trouble later when discovered.

In April 1984 it was in the top 3 in the United Kingdom whereas it only reached a maximum of 45th in North America.


Various different camera angles were used throughout:


The scene starts off with a birds eye view of council houses in Manchester to set the scene that the video is taking place in the 'Coronation Street' setting. There's then a close up of Brian Mays face which shows the hair curlers and highlights the fact that he is dressed as a woman. This is then followed by a close up of his pink,feminine bunny slippers. There is also a mid shot of the hoover which is being used by an unseen body, making the audience wait in anticipation to see who is going to come on scene and want to see what they are dressed as.


There were also various methods of editing used throughout: an example of this would be when Freddie opens the door to under the stair and it leads onto the next part of the music video instead of a closet as would be expected. I found this to be a very effective transition and use of continuity as it could symbol 'breaking free' from being trapped inside the closet. This could also be a hidden meaning for Mercurys' true sexuality as he was homo/ bisexual.

Introductory Post

Hi, this is my first post on my second blog for A2.








We achieved an A for our final film at AS and hopefully will keep it, however I am just waiting to see how I've done in the exam part. The exam itself went alright and the topics what I revised the most came up, which was great. I wrote 11 pages in total.


However, the clip was very difficult to write for sound as there was only a saxophone player and other than that there was nothing to say other than dialogue.


For A2, we have to produce a music video. I'm unsure what video I'm going to do yet however for the preliminary task; I have decided to Sleeping At Night by Caught A Ghost.


The group has decided to split from AS for some reason, despite getting an A for our final product.