Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Costumes
Costumes
As established in the props section, the costumes that the characters wear should portray their personalities and should immediately give the audience an idea of the kind of people they are. Both the victims in the trailer will not have much common sense, and will generally have no idea what is going on the whole time. I think that the clothing that I choose for them should represent this idea. As such I think quite silly clothing would be the best option, to immediately present the characters as being somewhat out of it. This will immediately give the audience a picture of what the characters are like. Under costumes I will also obviously have to consider what the mask is like for the villain. As stated in props, the mask should be comical but should still look professional and look as though it could belong in the horror genre.
Over the next few weeks I will be buying the costumes and specifically analysing them, stating why I chose them, why I think they are suitable for the trailer and how they stick to genre conventions.
Analysing specific costume choices
Villain costume - Pig mask with black clothing
I have gone into more detail on why I have chosen the pig mask as my villain mask in my props section. To summarise, I decided to use it as I think both horror and comedy aspects can be taken from simply seeing the mask. It looks frightening, however comedy values are also definitely there, as having a man dressed up as a pig and trying to kill people is ridiculous, as is having a villain dressed as a pig in general.
I think the black clothing that will go with the pig mask will add to the intimidation of the costume. The blackness will make the villain look even more frightening, as well as clearly identifying that the actor in the pig costume is in fact the villain, as some of the audience may still be unclear. This will be clear because the dark clothes will contrast strongly with the clothes that the victims are wearing.
(Final villain costume)
Victims costumes - Bright clothing
The victims will wear quite bright clothing, such as blue coats and bright trainers. They may also wear colourful items such as sunglasses and bands on their wrists. This is done to contrast strongly with the villain, who will predominantly be wearing black clothing.
I think that this use of bright clothing will help to exploit the comedy aspect of the trailer. As the villain is wearing a dark, evil looking costume, the comedy aspects of the trailer need to be carefully placed in to the trailer within other areas, to compensate. A good area to exploit is the clothing of the victims.
As the victims are going to be quite foolish and low in intelligence, I think the clothing should try and help convey this. I think having bright clothing does make the characters look somewhat more foolish, as it presents them as more whacky and out of the ordinary. Even though the clothing will be bright, it will be quite plain as well, to help portray their lack of common sense and intelligence in general. As the trailer goes on and becomes progressively dark, the victims may lose some items of their clothing (perhaps signifying that they have been attacked), so they end up looking more serious and less comical by the end. This could act as a metaphor for the layers of comedy being stripped away as the horror theme progresses within the trailer.
Overall, I am aiming for the victims to look quite cheesy and foolish, and hopefully this will add to the overall comedic effect of the trailer.
(Final victims costumes)
As established in the props section, the costumes that the characters wear should portray their personalities and should immediately give the audience an idea of the kind of people they are. Both the victims in the trailer will not have much common sense, and will generally have no idea what is going on the whole time. I think that the clothing that I choose for them should represent this idea. As such I think quite silly clothing would be the best option, to immediately present the characters as being somewhat out of it. This will immediately give the audience a picture of what the characters are like. Under costumes I will also obviously have to consider what the mask is like for the villain. As stated in props, the mask should be comical but should still look professional and look as though it could belong in the horror genre.
Over the next few weeks I will be buying the costumes and specifically analysing them, stating why I chose them, why I think they are suitable for the trailer and how they stick to genre conventions.
Analysing specific costume choices
Villain costume - Pig mask with black clothing
I have gone into more detail on why I have chosen the pig mask as my villain mask in my props section. To summarise, I decided to use it as I think both horror and comedy aspects can be taken from simply seeing the mask. It looks frightening, however comedy values are also definitely there, as having a man dressed up as a pig and trying to kill people is ridiculous, as is having a villain dressed as a pig in general.
I think the black clothing that will go with the pig mask will add to the intimidation of the costume. The blackness will make the villain look even more frightening, as well as clearly identifying that the actor in the pig costume is in fact the villain, as some of the audience may still be unclear. This will be clear because the dark clothes will contrast strongly with the clothes that the victims are wearing.
(Final villain costume)
Victims costumes - Bright clothing
The victims will wear quite bright clothing, such as blue coats and bright trainers. They may also wear colourful items such as sunglasses and bands on their wrists. This is done to contrast strongly with the villain, who will predominantly be wearing black clothing.
I think that this use of bright clothing will help to exploit the comedy aspect of the trailer. As the villain is wearing a dark, evil looking costume, the comedy aspects of the trailer need to be carefully placed in to the trailer within other areas, to compensate. A good area to exploit is the clothing of the victims.
As the victims are going to be quite foolish and low in intelligence, I think the clothing should try and help convey this. I think having bright clothing does make the characters look somewhat more foolish, as it presents them as more whacky and out of the ordinary. Even though the clothing will be bright, it will be quite plain as well, to help portray their lack of common sense and intelligence in general. As the trailer goes on and becomes progressively dark, the victims may lose some items of their clothing (perhaps signifying that they have been attacked), so they end up looking more serious and less comical by the end. This could act as a metaphor for the layers of comedy being stripped away as the horror theme progresses within the trailer.
Overall, I am aiming for the victims to look quite cheesy and foolish, and hopefully this will add to the overall comedic effect of the trailer.
(Final victims costumes)
Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Planning: Props
What props will I need?
At this stage of the process I have a rough shot list and as such I can estimate the props I will need for the shooting day. As can be seen from the script there is little in the way of extravagant props (sticking to comedy-horror conventions), however some of the props that are used will be very important in order for the trailer to work. Some of the props that I will need include:
-Two realistic looking toy guns
-Two torches
-A villain mask (which looks comical but still professional)
-A stick (used when one of the victims tries to fight the villain)
-A mobile phone
Over the next few weeks I will take pictures of these props and upload them to my blog. I will analyse each prop in detail, stating why I chose that particular prop and why I think it is suitable for the final trailer.
Analysing specific props
Prop 1: Stick
The first prop is the stick, that will be used when one of the characters attempts to knock down the villain. I thought having a stick as a prop would be quite comical, as it is not usually the sort of thing that one would associate with a defensive weapon. In horror movies, characters often try and fight back in really stupid ways such as hitting the villain with a small rock or hitting them with the butt of a gun instead of actually shooting them. For this reason I am going to try to parody this within the trailer, and I think a stick would be a comical prop to help portray this idea.
The stick will be long and narrow, with a pointy bit at the end that would possibly be used as a stabbing source for the victims.
Prop 2: Mobile phone
The second prop that I am analysing is the mobile phone. The mobile phone features near the start of the trailer, when one of the boys realises that they are out of "cell reception." The phone will be quite small and not very colourful, to ensure that the audience are not distracted by it and are instead focusing on the action.
I think the phone plays a crucial part to the trailer as even though it does not particularly add to the story, it is representing one of the key horror movie cliches which is characters not receiving a mobile network, essentially meaning they can not contact the outside world. In essence this makes the movie more tense and frightening, which I think is mainly why it is used so often in horror films. However it has been so over used now that it can almost be seen as comedic, which is why I am using it as one of my cliches within the trailer.
As can be seen in the picture below, the phone is small and does not particularly stand out. Another reason for this, besides not distracting the audience, is the phone only being in one scene near the start of the trailer, meaning the audience will probably not pay much attention to it.
Prop 3: Two realistic looking toy guns
The third prop that I am analysing is the pair of fake guns that will be used within the trailer. These feature towards the end of the trailer when the victims aim towards the camera and one of them shouts "Shoot his legs!" The villain will also have a gun, which may be visible in one or two shots. To save money and resources, I think I will give the villain one of the victim's guns as they both handle the weapons in different shots anyway. I think this may actually be effective, as it may suggest to the audience that the victims manage to steal the villains gun or vice versa.
As can be seen, the guns will be fairly small and will not stand out too much in terms of colour. They are also fairly realistic looking. This is something I found difficult last year, as whilst making my thriller piece "Unresolved," I made use of a red spud gun, which lost me marks on mise-en-scene and of course did not look realistic in the slightest. For this reason, I have invested in some more expensive fake guns to make the trailer more effective and realistic looking. Below, one of the guns can be seen.
Prop 4: Two torches
The fourth prop is the two torches, that the victims will have within the trailer. As can be seen from the picture these torches will be fairly small and will be silver in colour. Like the props that I have analysed previously, I do not want them to be really colourful or to stand out too much so the audience can instead concentrate on the story and the action that is taking place. I think the torches that I use will be effective however, as it makes the trailer seem somewhat more eerie and dramatic, as torches show that darkness is looming and that the victims will need to watch out for what is happening around them.
Prop 5: A villain mask
The fifth prop that will feature in the trailer is the villain mask. The mask that I have chosen clearly belongs to the horror genre and I think it looks quite frightening and intimidating, however I also think it does not look like a really serious mask and could be seen as belonging to the comedy genre as well as the horror genre. This is because it is a pig mask, and as such many should be able to see the comedy elements that this entails.
The villain mask is important within the trailer as the villain needs to be able to be clearly identified by the audience as well as the victims themselves, and I think simply giving the villain a mask helps with this clear identification. It will also be a crucial part to the slapstick ending of the trailer, in which one of the victims pulls off the villain's mask to reveal a rather half-baked looking person underneath who proceeds to comically punch them in the face.
At this stage of the process I have a rough shot list and as such I can estimate the props I will need for the shooting day. As can be seen from the script there is little in the way of extravagant props (sticking to comedy-horror conventions), however some of the props that are used will be very important in order for the trailer to work. Some of the props that I will need include:
-Two realistic looking toy guns
-Two torches
-A villain mask (which looks comical but still professional)
-A stick (used when one of the victims tries to fight the villain)
-A mobile phone
Over the next few weeks I will take pictures of these props and upload them to my blog. I will analyse each prop in detail, stating why I chose that particular prop and why I think it is suitable for the final trailer.
Analysing specific props
Prop 1: Stick
The first prop is the stick, that will be used when one of the characters attempts to knock down the villain. I thought having a stick as a prop would be quite comical, as it is not usually the sort of thing that one would associate with a defensive weapon. In horror movies, characters often try and fight back in really stupid ways such as hitting the villain with a small rock or hitting them with the butt of a gun instead of actually shooting them. For this reason I am going to try to parody this within the trailer, and I think a stick would be a comical prop to help portray this idea.
The stick will be long and narrow, with a pointy bit at the end that would possibly be used as a stabbing source for the victims.
Prop 2: Mobile phone
The second prop that I am analysing is the mobile phone. The mobile phone features near the start of the trailer, when one of the boys realises that they are out of "cell reception." The phone will be quite small and not very colourful, to ensure that the audience are not distracted by it and are instead focusing on the action.
I think the phone plays a crucial part to the trailer as even though it does not particularly add to the story, it is representing one of the key horror movie cliches which is characters not receiving a mobile network, essentially meaning they can not contact the outside world. In essence this makes the movie more tense and frightening, which I think is mainly why it is used so often in horror films. However it has been so over used now that it can almost be seen as comedic, which is why I am using it as one of my cliches within the trailer.
As can be seen in the picture below, the phone is small and does not particularly stand out. Another reason for this, besides not distracting the audience, is the phone only being in one scene near the start of the trailer, meaning the audience will probably not pay much attention to it.
Prop 3: Two realistic looking toy guns
The third prop that I am analysing is the pair of fake guns that will be used within the trailer. These feature towards the end of the trailer when the victims aim towards the camera and one of them shouts "Shoot his legs!" The villain will also have a gun, which may be visible in one or two shots. To save money and resources, I think I will give the villain one of the victim's guns as they both handle the weapons in different shots anyway. I think this may actually be effective, as it may suggest to the audience that the victims manage to steal the villains gun or vice versa.
As can be seen, the guns will be fairly small and will not stand out too much in terms of colour. They are also fairly realistic looking. This is something I found difficult last year, as whilst making my thriller piece "Unresolved," I made use of a red spud gun, which lost me marks on mise-en-scene and of course did not look realistic in the slightest. For this reason, I have invested in some more expensive fake guns to make the trailer more effective and realistic looking. Below, one of the guns can be seen.
Prop 4: Two torches
The fourth prop is the two torches, that the victims will have within the trailer. As can be seen from the picture these torches will be fairly small and will be silver in colour. Like the props that I have analysed previously, I do not want them to be really colourful or to stand out too much so the audience can instead concentrate on the story and the action that is taking place. I think the torches that I use will be effective however, as it makes the trailer seem somewhat more eerie and dramatic, as torches show that darkness is looming and that the victims will need to watch out for what is happening around them.
Prop 5: A villain mask
The fifth prop that will feature in the trailer is the villain mask. The mask that I have chosen clearly belongs to the horror genre and I think it looks quite frightening and intimidating, however I also think it does not look like a really serious mask and could be seen as belonging to the comedy genre as well as the horror genre. This is because it is a pig mask, and as such many should be able to see the comedy elements that this entails.
The villain mask is important within the trailer as the villain needs to be able to be clearly identified by the audience as well as the victims themselves, and I think simply giving the villain a mask helps with this clear identification. It will also be a crucial part to the slapstick ending of the trailer, in which one of the victims pulls off the villain's mask to reveal a rather half-baked looking person underneath who proceeds to comically punch them in the face.
Tuesday, 4 October 2016
Choosing a title
I have brainstormed a number of different titles that I could use for the trailer. The name of the media I think needs to incorporate both horror and comedy elements into the title, to make the genre of the trailer immediately clear for the audience. Some of my ideas include:
-Troll of the Dead
-Sore
-The Silence of the Lads
-Psychopath
-Jaw
Most of these names rip off of other horror franchises such as "Jaws," "The Silence of the Lambs," and the "Saw," franchise. From doing my research into the comedy-horror genre I can see that other films do this as well, such as "Shaun of the Dead." I feel this is done to simply show the combining of the horror and comedy genre, and to make it instantly clear to the audience what the genre of the film is. The reason these film names are comical are because they are clearly making fun of the films from the horror genre by taking the film title and abruptly changing it to make it sound somewhat ridiculous. For example a film titled "Shaun of the Dead," is unlikely to be a serious horror flick, neither a film called "Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein." I have incorporated these ideas into my own possible titles, for example with "The Silence of the Lambs," and "The Silence of the Lads."
After deciding that I would name my trailer "The Silence of the Lads," I investigated some fonts to use on Premier Pro. Fonts that I have investigated for the title include the "Superclarendon," font, the "Nanum Brush Script," and the "Trattatello," font.
Superclarendon font
Nanum Brush Script font
Trattatello font
-Troll of the Dead
-Sore
-The Silence of the Lads
-Psychopath
-Jaw
Most of these names rip off of other horror franchises such as "Jaws," "The Silence of the Lambs," and the "Saw," franchise. From doing my research into the comedy-horror genre I can see that other films do this as well, such as "Shaun of the Dead." I feel this is done to simply show the combining of the horror and comedy genre, and to make it instantly clear to the audience what the genre of the film is. The reason these film names are comical are because they are clearly making fun of the films from the horror genre by taking the film title and abruptly changing it to make it sound somewhat ridiculous. For example a film titled "Shaun of the Dead," is unlikely to be a serious horror flick, neither a film called "Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein." I have incorporated these ideas into my own possible titles, for example with "The Silence of the Lambs," and "The Silence of the Lads."
After deciding that I would name my trailer "The Silence of the Lads," I investigated some fonts to use on Premier Pro. Fonts that I have investigated for the title include the "Superclarendon," font, the "Nanum Brush Script," and the "Trattatello," font.
Superclarendon font
Nanum Brush Script font
Trattatello font
Monday, 3 October 2016
Shot list
Rough shot list for comedy-horror trailer
(The name of the piece is currently unresolved.)
Shot 1 - Establishing shot of two boys walking towards the camera. A wind sound can be heard in the background, which slowly rises.
Shot 2 - Opening titles
Shot 3- Medium shot of two boys. One looks down at their mobile and exclaims "Damn it, we're out of reception!"
Shot 4- Close shot. Other boy says "Why, you're not scared are you?"
Shot 5- Over the shoulder shot. "Of course not." (Followed immediately by laughter.)
Shot 6- (Laughter continues in background.) Text can be seen, which reads "In a world full of evil," (Which is also accompanied by a cheesy voice-over.) (Not used in final piece)
Shot 7 - Medium shots of boys walking again. "What is a psychopath? Is it an animal?"
Shot 8- Text appears again. It reads "Only those with their wits about them." (Not used in final piece)
Shot 9- Long shot. "It's dark we should go home." (Not used in final piece)
Shot 10- Text appears again. "Can survive." (Not used in final piece)
(Music stops and is replaced with silence.)
Shot 11- Medium shot. The trailer is suddenly silent, and the boys stare into the woods around them.
Shot 12- Still silence. Extreme close-ups of both the boy's faces, who look terrified as they stare into the trees.
Shot 13- POV extreme long shot from behind the two boys, through the eyes of the villain. Heavy breathing can be heard.
Shot 14- Long shot. One of the boys turns round to where the villain had literally just been standing, but does not see him. He whispers "If someone attacks us, run into the woods because we can climb up trees to hide."
(Here, the montage editing will begin and there will be very little dialogue. The following section will be more tense, and will exploit the horror genre more than the comedy genre.)
Shot 15- Scary, ominous music can suddenly be heard in the trailer. Long shot of boys running down the track into the distance.
Shot 16- High shot of villain in pursuit of one of the victims.
Shot 17- Medium low shot of the two boys hiding behind a tree, breathing heavily. The villain can be seen approaching in the background.
Shot 18- Long shot of the two boys running away into the distance.
Shot 19- Quick shot of one of the boys fighting with the villain with a stick.
Shot 20- High angle shot of one of the two boys lying on the ground, screaming in pain.
Shot 21- High angle shot of villain from below, slowly bringing his gun around towards the camera.
Shot 22- Medium shot of the two characters with guns, firing towards the camera. One of them yells "Aim for his legs!"
Shot 23- Music dissipates, replaced by a ringing sound. The screen is black.
Shot 24- Flash of brightness, followed by a high angle medium shot of one of the boys lying dead on the ground, with a voiceover in the background, which reads out the title of the movie. (Not used in final piece)
25- Black screen again, before the title of the film appears in cheesy big red letters.
26- One final quick shot of one of the boys pulling off the villains mask, revealing the person beneath who proceeds to punch him in the face.
(The name of the piece is currently unresolved.)
Shot 1 - Establishing shot of two boys walking towards the camera. A wind sound can be heard in the background, which slowly rises.
Shot 2 - Opening titles
Shot 3- Medium shot of two boys. One looks down at their mobile and exclaims "Damn it, we're out of reception!"
Shot 4- Close shot. Other boy says "Why, you're not scared are you?"
Shot 5- Over the shoulder shot. "Of course not." (Followed immediately by laughter.)
Shot 6- (Laughter continues in background.) Text can be seen, which reads "In a world full of evil," (Which is also accompanied by a cheesy voice-over.) (Not used in final piece)
Shot 7 - Medium shots of boys walking again. "What is a psychopath? Is it an animal?"
Shot 8- Text appears again. It reads "Only those with their wits about them." (Not used in final piece)
Shot 9- Long shot. "It's dark we should go home." (Not used in final piece)
Shot 10- Text appears again. "Can survive." (Not used in final piece)
(Music stops and is replaced with silence.)
Shot 11- Medium shot. The trailer is suddenly silent, and the boys stare into the woods around them.
Shot 12- Still silence. Extreme close-ups of both the boy's faces, who look terrified as they stare into the trees.
Shot 13- POV extreme long shot from behind the two boys, through the eyes of the villain. Heavy breathing can be heard.
Shot 14- Long shot. One of the boys turns round to where the villain had literally just been standing, but does not see him. He whispers "If someone attacks us, run into the woods because we can climb up trees to hide."
(Here, the montage editing will begin and there will be very little dialogue. The following section will be more tense, and will exploit the horror genre more than the comedy genre.)
Shot 15- Scary, ominous music can suddenly be heard in the trailer. Long shot of boys running down the track into the distance.
Shot 16- High shot of villain in pursuit of one of the victims.
Shot 17- Medium low shot of the two boys hiding behind a tree, breathing heavily. The villain can be seen approaching in the background.
Shot 18- Long shot of the two boys running away into the distance.
Shot 19- Quick shot of one of the boys fighting with the villain with a stick.
Shot 20- High angle shot of one of the two boys lying on the ground, screaming in pain.
Shot 21- High angle shot of villain from below, slowly bringing his gun around towards the camera.
Shot 22- Medium shot of the two characters with guns, firing towards the camera. One of them yells "Aim for his legs!"
Shot 23- Music dissipates, replaced by a ringing sound. The screen is black.
Shot 24- Flash of brightness, followed by a high angle medium shot of one of the boys lying dead on the ground, with a voiceover in the background, which reads out the title of the movie. (Not used in final piece)
25- Black screen again, before the title of the film appears in cheesy big red letters.
26- One final quick shot of one of the boys pulling off the villains mask, revealing the person beneath who proceeds to punch him in the face.
Casting
Who do I need?
Test lines
I will get the actor/actors to read some test lines in order to test their ability at acting. I have come up with four lines (which may or may not appear in the actual script) which will they will be required to read for the auditions. These lines are:
"What's a psychopath? Is it an animal?"
"Maybe if we both shout really loudly we'll scare whoever is doing this away."
"We have no cell reception."
"If he attacks us run in to the woods because we can climb up trees to hide."
(Below, potential actor Toby Oliver is tasked with reading the four lines in certain expressions, to test his ability at playing the role.)
In my trailer I am planning on having three characters, two of them being the victims who get hunted down by the villain. This means I will need two actors to play these victims. These actors will need to be able, physically fit and be willing to incorporate both horror and comedy elements into their acting. I am planning on giving them some test lines to read and then to record their attempts at reading them. I feel this will help with the selection process, and will give me an idea of their abilities ahead of the actual shoot. I am planning on having two male characters within the trailer, but both with very contrasting personalities. One will be brave and boisterous, the other scared and easily intimidated. However they will both be very low in intelligence, as they will make some really stupid decisions within the trailer.
Test lines
I will get the actor/actors to read some test lines in order to test their ability at acting. I have come up with four lines (which may or may not appear in the actual script) which will they will be required to read for the auditions. These lines are:
"What's a psychopath? Is it an animal?"
"Maybe if we both shout really loudly we'll scare whoever is doing this away."
"We have no cell reception."
"If he attacks us run in to the woods because we can climb up trees to hide."
(Below, potential actor Toby Oliver is tasked with reading the four lines in certain expressions, to test his ability at playing the role.)
Locations
Locations
Pre-planning locations
The locations that I choose for the comedy-horror trailer should be suitable for both the comedy and horror aspects of the genre. As the film trailer will partly belong to the horror-genre, the environments that I pick should be fairly creepy/unsettling. Environments that fit this criteria include woods and the countryside, perhaps on quite a cloudy, dark day. If the script required indoor environments then I would be looking at darkly-lit, claustrophobic rooms with little props (referring to research done into the horror genre such as the movie "Don't Breathe.") However if I were to film in an indoor environment (which I feel is less likely than an outdoor environment) then I would have to be very careful in my selection of the room and the props that can be seen inside. This is something I found difficult last year, and an area where I lost marks (specifically mise-en-scene.)
I feel an outdoor environment is more likely as if it is shot outdoors then it will be easier to make fun of the typical horror cliches (for example car breaking down, having no cell reception, victim running off into the woods.) It will also give us much more space to film, and to use as many camera angles as possible to make the trailer very visually dynamic. Remember this is a convention of the comedy-horror genre, as my timeline analysis of the trailer for "Scary Movie," showed that a variety of long shots, medium shots and close shots were used throughout.
Analysing specific location choices
1st location choice: Footpath leading into woods
My first possible filming location is a footpath that leads off into some woods. As can be seen from the picture below, the footpath is very shaded and dark, which will obviously add to the horror aspect of the trailer. I feel this is a good spot to use because as well as having an eerie atmosphere to it, there is a lot of space to use, meaning a lot of camera angles can be exploited. A good shot to use in this specific location would be a long shot, as the footpath leads off into the distance in a straight line, meaning things can be seen at the other end that could add to the atmosphere of the trailer, and/or establish the scene.
The disadvantages of filming in this space however is that because it is quite dark and is shaded by trees, some things might be hard to make out. As such I will need to be careful that where I am filming has enough light in order for things on camera to be seen, and perhaps will have to wait for a day where there is a reasonable amount of sunshine in order for everything to be seen.
2nd location choice: Field surrounded by trees
My second location choice is a field which is predominantly surrounded by trees. As can be seen in the picture below, there is also a path that skirts round the edge of the field, which could be used for dramatic effect in the trailer (for example if we wanted a car as a prop, we could use this path for the vehicle.)
The advantages to this potential filming location are that there is a lot of space for a number of different camera angles. Long shots, medium shots, close shots and high angle/low angle shots could all be used in the area, and as such if I were to film here it could potentially make the trailer more visually dynamic and interesting.
Unlike the last filming location the area is not very shaded, and as such brightness will not be an issue. However if it raining on the day of shoot there will be less chance of protection from it, although the trees that are visible that surround the field can be used in the case of unexpected weather changes.
A possible disadvantage to this filming location is that as it is very open there will be little space for the villain/victims to possibly hide and/or fight each other. When there are a lot of trees scenes of this nature are easier to shoot as there are more places for, for example, a villain to jump out unexpectedly and scare the audience. This is something I will consider when finalising filming locations.
3rd filming location: Track leading through forest
This filming location is similar to the first one, with the fundamental idea being track/footpath going directly through a wood. However, I feel this idea is better than the first, as this time there is a track going through the trees instead of a footpath. This means that we can potentially have a car in the area as well. As it is a track instead of a grassed footpath, it will be easier to walk around and set up the camera, as the ground is already established. Also, at this location (although not visible in the picture), there are ditches running down both sides of the track, potentially meaning the trailer can be made more tense through the paranoia that someone might be watching from either side of the track. As there are slopes it also means that we can possibly make use of the high angle/ low angle shots more often as well, which again will serve to make the trailer more tense and dramatic.
A disadvantage of this area compared to the first however is that there is light at either end of the track. In the first location, the path goes deep into a wood and light is not visible at the other end, however in this location the exit to the woods can be seen at both ends. This could make the trailer slightly less scary, as it could unintentionally be signifying to the audience that there is hope for the main characters. However, as I am making in the comedy-horror genre, not all the locations have to precisely meet the usual horror criteria, and the light at the end of the track might actually help to establish that the trailer is a comedy as well as a horror. In other words, this may actually be a positive thing.
4th filming location: Abandoned house in the middle of woods
The fourth potential filming location is an abandoned house in the middle of some woods. This location is very near location 3, as the abandoned house is actually down one of the ditches that leads away from the track. This is personally my favourite location, as I feel it looks like a location that would typically be used in horror movies. I think audience members, upon seeing the shot, would immediately be able to identify the genre of the trailer as having a horror aspect to it.
I think the location is also very good because, as the abandoned house is at the bottom of a ditch, a lot of camera angles can be used to add to the effect of the trailer. For example, the camera can be placed at the top of the hill and can get the whole area in shot, which would be very effective as an establishing shot. As the house is surrounded by trees there is also a lot of potential for exploiting the feeling of paranoia which often comes with horror movies, as the audience will probably work harder to try and find out where the villain is and when he will next attack.
A disadvantage to this filming location is actually the overall safety levels of it. The ground surrounding the house is very uneven, meaning tripping is much more likely. The house itself is very derelict and old, and we will potentially be putting ourselves in danger if we go to close to it (as can be seen from the picture, one side of it has already collapsed.)
This is something I will need to consider when doing my risk assessment and also of course when I actually film there. More planning will be required if I decide to shoot at this area, and a ground check might be necessary before we begin shooting there.
5th filming location: Old railway bridge
For the fifth and final filming location I chose to investigate an old railway bridge, with a path that leads underneath it into a small wood. The railway bridge is abandoned and overgrown, making the area look eerie and sinister. This will obviously fit with the genre, which is comedy-horror.
There is a small hill leading down the path under the railway bridge, again meaning high angle shots and low angle shots can be used more easily. This will be good in the trailer to show difference in status and power, and to perhaps help distinguish between villain and victim. There is also a fair amount of space at the location, meaning a lot of camera angles can be used to make the trailer visually dynamic. It is relatively safe as well, with quite smooth ground and little in the way of derelict structures which may collapse, unlike the last location.
A disadvantage to this location is that, like the first location, it is quite dark and overgrown, meaning more time will need to be spent with the camera in order to ensure good lighting. Also, the wood at the end of the path is quite small, perhaps meaning that the trailer is less dramatic. However, as established in location 3, this might actually be a good thing, as it might establish that this is a comedy-horror rather than just a pure horror.
These locations can be seen within my storyboard which I have now completed. I am going to use page 1 as an example:
In my storyboard the shots seen can be linked with the filming locations that I have looked at. In page 1, shot 1 where the two boys can be seen walking towards the camera on the track is location 3. Meanwhile, shot's 2 and 4 are location 2, with the boys standing in the open space with trees and countryside visible around them. Shot 3 will take place in location 2, as the dialogue within the shot flows on from shot 2, meaning it must be in the same location.
Pre-planning locations
The locations that I choose for the comedy-horror trailer should be suitable for both the comedy and horror aspects of the genre. As the film trailer will partly belong to the horror-genre, the environments that I pick should be fairly creepy/unsettling. Environments that fit this criteria include woods and the countryside, perhaps on quite a cloudy, dark day. If the script required indoor environments then I would be looking at darkly-lit, claustrophobic rooms with little props (referring to research done into the horror genre such as the movie "Don't Breathe.") However if I were to film in an indoor environment (which I feel is less likely than an outdoor environment) then I would have to be very careful in my selection of the room and the props that can be seen inside. This is something I found difficult last year, and an area where I lost marks (specifically mise-en-scene.)
I feel an outdoor environment is more likely as if it is shot outdoors then it will be easier to make fun of the typical horror cliches (for example car breaking down, having no cell reception, victim running off into the woods.) It will also give us much more space to film, and to use as many camera angles as possible to make the trailer very visually dynamic. Remember this is a convention of the comedy-horror genre, as my timeline analysis of the trailer for "Scary Movie," showed that a variety of long shots, medium shots and close shots were used throughout.
Analysing specific location choices
1st location choice: Footpath leading into woods
My first possible filming location is a footpath that leads off into some woods. As can be seen from the picture below, the footpath is very shaded and dark, which will obviously add to the horror aspect of the trailer. I feel this is a good spot to use because as well as having an eerie atmosphere to it, there is a lot of space to use, meaning a lot of camera angles can be exploited. A good shot to use in this specific location would be a long shot, as the footpath leads off into the distance in a straight line, meaning things can be seen at the other end that could add to the atmosphere of the trailer, and/or establish the scene.
The disadvantages of filming in this space however is that because it is quite dark and is shaded by trees, some things might be hard to make out. As such I will need to be careful that where I am filming has enough light in order for things on camera to be seen, and perhaps will have to wait for a day where there is a reasonable amount of sunshine in order for everything to be seen.
2nd location choice: Field surrounded by trees
My second location choice is a field which is predominantly surrounded by trees. As can be seen in the picture below, there is also a path that skirts round the edge of the field, which could be used for dramatic effect in the trailer (for example if we wanted a car as a prop, we could use this path for the vehicle.)
The advantages to this potential filming location are that there is a lot of space for a number of different camera angles. Long shots, medium shots, close shots and high angle/low angle shots could all be used in the area, and as such if I were to film here it could potentially make the trailer more visually dynamic and interesting.
Unlike the last filming location the area is not very shaded, and as such brightness will not be an issue. However if it raining on the day of shoot there will be less chance of protection from it, although the trees that are visible that surround the field can be used in the case of unexpected weather changes.
A possible disadvantage to this filming location is that as it is very open there will be little space for the villain/victims to possibly hide and/or fight each other. When there are a lot of trees scenes of this nature are easier to shoot as there are more places for, for example, a villain to jump out unexpectedly and scare the audience. This is something I will consider when finalising filming locations.
3rd filming location: Track leading through forest
This filming location is similar to the first one, with the fundamental idea being track/footpath going directly through a wood. However, I feel this idea is better than the first, as this time there is a track going through the trees instead of a footpath. This means that we can potentially have a car in the area as well. As it is a track instead of a grassed footpath, it will be easier to walk around and set up the camera, as the ground is already established. Also, at this location (although not visible in the picture), there are ditches running down both sides of the track, potentially meaning the trailer can be made more tense through the paranoia that someone might be watching from either side of the track. As there are slopes it also means that we can possibly make use of the high angle/ low angle shots more often as well, which again will serve to make the trailer more tense and dramatic.
A disadvantage of this area compared to the first however is that there is light at either end of the track. In the first location, the path goes deep into a wood and light is not visible at the other end, however in this location the exit to the woods can be seen at both ends. This could make the trailer slightly less scary, as it could unintentionally be signifying to the audience that there is hope for the main characters. However, as I am making in the comedy-horror genre, not all the locations have to precisely meet the usual horror criteria, and the light at the end of the track might actually help to establish that the trailer is a comedy as well as a horror. In other words, this may actually be a positive thing.
4th filming location: Abandoned house in the middle of woods
The fourth potential filming location is an abandoned house in the middle of some woods. This location is very near location 3, as the abandoned house is actually down one of the ditches that leads away from the track. This is personally my favourite location, as I feel it looks like a location that would typically be used in horror movies. I think audience members, upon seeing the shot, would immediately be able to identify the genre of the trailer as having a horror aspect to it.
I think the location is also very good because, as the abandoned house is at the bottom of a ditch, a lot of camera angles can be used to add to the effect of the trailer. For example, the camera can be placed at the top of the hill and can get the whole area in shot, which would be very effective as an establishing shot. As the house is surrounded by trees there is also a lot of potential for exploiting the feeling of paranoia which often comes with horror movies, as the audience will probably work harder to try and find out where the villain is and when he will next attack.
A disadvantage to this filming location is actually the overall safety levels of it. The ground surrounding the house is very uneven, meaning tripping is much more likely. The house itself is very derelict and old, and we will potentially be putting ourselves in danger if we go to close to it (as can be seen from the picture, one side of it has already collapsed.)
This is something I will need to consider when doing my risk assessment and also of course when I actually film there. More planning will be required if I decide to shoot at this area, and a ground check might be necessary before we begin shooting there.
5th filming location: Old railway bridge
For the fifth and final filming location I chose to investigate an old railway bridge, with a path that leads underneath it into a small wood. The railway bridge is abandoned and overgrown, making the area look eerie and sinister. This will obviously fit with the genre, which is comedy-horror.
There is a small hill leading down the path under the railway bridge, again meaning high angle shots and low angle shots can be used more easily. This will be good in the trailer to show difference in status and power, and to perhaps help distinguish between villain and victim. There is also a fair amount of space at the location, meaning a lot of camera angles can be used to make the trailer visually dynamic. It is relatively safe as well, with quite smooth ground and little in the way of derelict structures which may collapse, unlike the last location.
A disadvantage to this location is that, like the first location, it is quite dark and overgrown, meaning more time will need to be spent with the camera in order to ensure good lighting. Also, the wood at the end of the path is quite small, perhaps meaning that the trailer is less dramatic. However, as established in location 3, this might actually be a good thing, as it might establish that this is a comedy-horror rather than just a pure horror.
These locations can be seen within my storyboard which I have now completed. I am going to use page 1 as an example:
In my storyboard the shots seen can be linked with the filming locations that I have looked at. In page 1, shot 1 where the two boys can be seen walking towards the camera on the track is location 3. Meanwhile, shot's 2 and 4 are location 2, with the boys standing in the open space with trees and countryside visible around them. Shot 3 will take place in location 2, as the dialogue within the shot flows on from shot 2, meaning it must be in the same location.
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