Main Task - Evaluation Q7

Q7 Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

The preliminary task involved understanding the making of a basic film, such as techniques like the use of match on action, a 180 degree rule and shoulder reverse shots; which can be seen in our preliminary task video. These were aspects that we wanted to include in our final production. I have also learnt that these are not difficult to achieve, and initially I did fear that I would be unable to edit and use the camera equipment, however by today’s standard of technology, filming is far easier and so is the editing process.

Furthermore due to the experience and skills that I have learnt, my view of films and watching films has changed. As I know about what is involved in creating certain techniques used to keep the audience interested, specifically the Mise en scene, in which how a setting is created. Other conventions in the production of cinematic theatre, such as the soundtrack that is required, the camera angles, usage of narrative and how plot lines are not required to be chronological in order to create a engrossing story.

By going with the horror genre, at the same time there are a wide range of options to choose from for horror, e.g. supernatural, vampire, slasher, mystery and much more. However, we limited the audience who could watch this; a younger audience are completely not allowed, as well as individuals who may find horror a subject matter far too disgusting or difficult to watch. Although, in current trends, horror is a genre in which we can explore emotions and exploit that sense of not wanting to move your eyes from the screen. However, to achieve this effect of a serious horror, we had to ensure that things were not too over dramatised, and that some of the acting in horror is difficult for those who are not professional actors. I think we had cast about three girls until we found Nadia; initially we wanted to play up to the typical Hollywood versions of a young teenage girl, who has magazine cover appeal. However, we decided at a later stage to change this idea, and used an adverse idea for the characters appearance; we decided to base the movie on what it means to violently kill. Hollywood budget movies do create this effect that the victim is at fault, for being attractive, for standing out. But in the real world violent acts are not because of the victim, but instead it lies with the offender. Another aspect is that we intended to create a movie, which had a big budget feel, and at first I felt inspired with large grossing horror movies like The Ring, Sixth Sense, Drag me to Hell and so on. Instead, as I researched my project, I found that the trend in horror have been popular amongst independent film makers, like the creators of 28 Days Later and Dog Soldiers. These have British castings, and have a feeling of the terror being far closer to home, thus this created a sense of authenticity.

Another realisation was the filming process, as a group we had to do this together, and at a time in which was suitable for all of us. We were limited by locations, as well as time. The time that suited all team members was during the day; however this affected us when we went to editing. Because the opening was about the events taking place in the past, in terms of the chronological order of the film; editing these scenes in black and white as would be seen in a matinee movie look was difficult. Because the filming had initially taken place during the day, the actual killing scene was supposed to look as if it had happened at night; in black and white it was obvious we had filmed during the day. Which is why we decided to go with the x-ray effect, this also distorted Nadia’s face more, and enhanced the sense of horror for the audience.

Overall I think more time, and an early casting of characters are important, furthermore, it is a good idea to be inspired by movies which would be beyond our budget, however it is important to create a sense of authenticity for the viewer, and to be able to realise that the quality of the movie is down to the storyline and good acting.

Main Task - Evaluation Q6

Q6 What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Editing is not as difficult as I initially perceived, it was fairly straight forward to upload our clips onto the Mac laptop. The only thing that I did not foresee, that as a group, although we were often agreeable, we did often take more time than needed to decide an aspect in editing. However, I expect this is part of filmmaking, where decisions can be difficult and will require time and patience in working together as a team.

There was a need to put the clips in order, as some were not filmed in chronological order, but we were aware that we could place these in the order preferred later when editing. Some were 10 to 30 second clips that had to be placed in order, in other cases we had sets of frames rather than actual clips to place in between other clips and frames. Particularly where Nadia is running through a gate entrance, we needed to show this from two angles, we had to film this in two separate shots. These shots had to be edited and placed side by side for the benefit of the audience, in order to create a match on match action.

We also as a group learnt about transactions, which are various editing devices for filming, for example creating a black and white visual effect, or a negative effect, or enhancing the colour for a richer visual perspective. As we were making a horror movie, we chose to use an x-ray effect to represent something took place in the past, although it would have been preferred to use black and white effect. However this did not work out, as the initial filming of the scenes were conducted during daylight, and therefore this was far too obvious for the audience. With more time, it would have been better to film closer to when the evening drew in, or twilight. But we did not have time to do this. Therefore we experimented with other types of transactions, the two main ones being negative and X-ray. In general editing the speed, style and chronology of clips and frames were fairly straightforward once we got used to using the software. Unfortunately this was not the case with editing sound into the 2 minute opening, although overall the opening passes as a tense horror. Using iMovie 11 software was not as enjoyable. Firstly the overall music playing over the opening credits, is a little lower than desired, and a few sound effects could not be found, like when Memz, who plays the male character hits Nadia, we required the sound effect for when the audience hear this taking place. I think in hindsight, it would have been better if we had taken the time to record this sound effect ourselves and upload this, and then edit it in place. However, again we ran out of time. Using Garage band was not as difficult, Safina was able to undertake the responsibility in making the eerie soundtrack, and it was evident that there was no need for any of us to actually know how to play an instrument in order to use this software. By which I mean reading music notes, or having to write notes down. The software allows us to match a rhythm by using pre-recorded loops, which can be taken from various instruments e.g. guitar sounds, piano, violins etc. We used basic steps to achieve our final product for the movie, first we named our piece, as you would a file, we set the tempo, which means we could go from slow to quite fast, however we decided to keep the track simple, and stick to using basic sample pre-recorded pieces, and only experiment with these to achieve the desired effect.

Main Task - Evaluation Q5

Q5 How did you attract/address your audience?

In order to attract our audience, we aimed to not steer too far from the typical themes within horror; the initial scene induces fear and disgust from the offset, with a female as the victim. As well as this, the opening comes across as a separate story; however this is supposed to combine at some point. This is similar to the openings of ‘Sixth Sense’ and ‘Drag me to Hell’, as the scene’s here set up a movie but are explained mid way or at the end. This is the effect we want to achieve, to keep the audience guessing what the opening scene was about, and why it took place.

However, the eerie set up of the abandoned playground, which although is a public place is disturbingly empty, and as it is fenced in, the Mise en Scene, gives a sense of isolation and claustrophobia. We use little close-ups except for when the girl is running. Now in reflection I do think that using close-ups of the playground area would have looked better, for example the movement of the chains on the swings, rather than distance shots. This would enhance the sense of confinement and isolation, as in the distance it is inevitable that there are passers by walking into the scene, furthermore the roundabout shot should also have remained a close-up as the opening credits continue. We did however choose to edit parts of the scene to half-speed or in other terms ‘slow-mo’, so as to convey a sense of time slowing down, and the girl’s fate is inevitable regardless of when it takes place.

Another aspect that we would like to have changed for the viewer is the X-ray effect in some of the scenes, where the attacker places his hand on her shoulder; here I believe it would have been better if it remained at half-speed, but without the X-ray effect. So that the fear on her face is what the audience observes, the X-ray effect hides this, however, although Nadia is an excellent actress and put a great deal of commitment into acting for us. It was far too obvious that her look of horror was just not genuine enough, and did not create that impact with the original unedited version. Therefore the X-ray effect does induce some sense of fear and insecurity for the viewer. If we had more time to have re-filmed some of these shots, I think we could have achieved this. But we did not, so therefore made do with the editorial effect available to us.

Main Task - Evaluation Q4

Q4 Who would be the audience for your media product?

 

The target age range for my media product would be about 15 -25, however we do not wish to limit ourselves here, and would like to be able to cater towards a wider market of an older age group. The age group of the characters in the film do represent a younger audience; however the storyline and the setting of the opening and sections of the film which are based up to 20 years ago in the eighties, people who were teens in that decade, and remember that decade would today be in their mid thirties to forties. Therefore, will be interested in viewing the film.

 

Furthermore the film will be a mix supernatural and psychological thriller, which is designed to not only induce fear and disgust, questions the relativity of such violence. As afore mentioned, she is not someone who stands out for having supermodel looks, however is a vulnerable character, who is murdered on account of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, by those who have nothing but violent and sadistic intentions. The movie aims to question why women are exploited violently in such a way, and the type of audience would be possibly more a female audience. Rather than an audience wholly of men, we do not want to insult the female audience by claiming that they are always the victim, but want to create a sense of reality. My personal opinion is that movies in which the victim is this heightened almost visually perfect female, there are two ideas often conveyed. First that looks are the important part in such exploitation, or that those with ‘head-turning’ looks are at fault for being so good-looking in the first place, and ultimately are the ones most likely at risk. Because of this factor, this will draw in an older crowd, who may find it easier to understand a psychological thriller that conveys this message and use intellect to try to make sense of the plot.

 

Ultimately however, this is a horror movie and the horror aspect is what we want to draw the audience in on. The style of horror is a Brit-flick similar to ‘Dog Soldiers’, and’ 28 Days Later’, there is almost an underlying sense that some of the events maybe possible, and the ‘Britishness’ of it will bring it closer to home.

Main Task - Evaluation Q3

Q3 What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I would imagine our filming team as independent filmmakers, we are British based and would be looking to approach the likes of the BFI ‘British Film Institute’ or the UK Film Council. We do not have access to a production company or the funds to get the product marketed; however there are institutions which cater towards funding and distributing independent, unknown and a new generation of filmmakers into the mainstream. Danny Boyle is a British director who filmed ‘28 Days later’ with the help of studios through DNA productions and the UK Film Council; later on the film was distributed by 20th Century Fox.[i] This film did relatively badly in British cinema Box Offices, however on DVD and in American Cinemas it did well. Although it would be thrilling to be considered a success in America, we do aim to at least create revenue amongst British consumers. Therefore it is important to ensure that the film has been marketed and produced by British institutions, although a film’s success is not always about how and through whom the item is marketed, but more about the quality and how well the film is received by the consumer public. But, it is clear that marketing and the distribution of an item plays a significant role, the type of cinemas we also imagine taking an interest in releasing this film, would be independent cinemas. Such as Phoenix Picture House or the ICO Independent Cinema Office, there has been a shift for more mainstream distributors to follow the trend of taking the initiative to screen an up-and-coming release, simply because smaller cinemas have benefited in revenue from the movie first. As they also do not want to lose out on the possibility of making money from a particular film, although they may not be the first to release the movie. There are far more commercial distributors in towns and cities, therefore they can tap into a market, where independent distributors lack in having a branch within a particular location to offer such a screening. However, again there is a low chance that this could happen, and as a result we do not aim to meet Hollywood or mainstream standards. Furthermore, to distribute towards the mainstream standard of viewers, a lot more money is involved, in regards to marketing and distribution. Whereas from the use of the ICO criteria for marketing and advertisement, the method of screening and acceptance is based on the cinema staff, and the general audience; quoting from the ICO website:

‘We strongly believe that the most successful cinemas and film societies are those where staff have the opportunity to watch films and feel passionate about them. To this end, twice a year, the ICO organises a Screening Days event, providing exhibitors with a crash course in key forthcoming independent releases.’.

This suits our style of production and what we stand for. However similarly, there are alternative means of marketing methods, for example if we look at the recent post 2000 horror movie, ‘Paranormal Activity’, this was not screened to a room of film critics, instead the filmmakers chose to take the product and screen this to various college towns of University students, claiming it to be a true story. Thus creating a viral sensation via word of mouth and the use of internet forums, as the internet is a powerful marketing tool. There are also viral ads, which can be used to create hype and sensation for consumers to buy into the actual product. Due to budget funds this would be far more ideal.

[i] http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2002/oct/25/artsfeatures1

Main Task - Evaluation Q2

Q2 How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The aim was to direct the movie towards a more generalised section of the public, rather than one social or age group. Although the film is intended to be certified as 15, we do not wish to only cater to a young teen market. The girl running is of ethnic origin, it does seem typical to have the victim to be female. However, the opening is wholly action, and of someone in fear, which we hope will draw the audience in. The ethnicity of the girl is Asian, because we wanted to steer clear of the archetypal blonde in danger, instead a young East Asian girl is what the audience will see first. Although media entertainment is moving towards marketing films with South East Asian actors, the horror genre internationally does lack this.

The hooded villain could be male or even could be female, although the ending will reveal that the villain is male. We felt it would be better not to lead straight away with his identity or gender. But rather it remained a mystery. Although today there are films where the villain is now represented as female, which could add to a story twist or enhance the reaction of the audience; for this movie, Paranoia, we felt that the reverse in roles was not necessary. But rather the overall story and the impact of the scenes, that are to contain danger elements of violence and gore.

We are aware that we chose to use a female character from the offset as the victim, and this does not essentially contradict or challenge the horror genre. She is typically running away from danger but to no avail, she is being chased and admittedly we are aware that all the audience hear is her feminine scream. However, our aim was never to challenge the gender role, but rather create a movie where the action and creating the sense of horror were more important than us challenging the stereo-type. Although alternately, we chose a female who is not essentially a white, blonde female, with magazine cover appeal. But rather someone that would not typically stand out, but an individual who we would see in day to day life, and pass us by in the street. The opening sequence, where she is running through the park, we chose to use dull colours for her clothes; she is not your typical brightly coloured young girl. She is a young woman, not someone in her teens, and we wanted to represent this. The clothes are fairly fashionable by today’s standards, but we chose items, that also had an eighties look. As the character in the opening shots, is actually the young protagonists mother, if the audience were to place the time line, she would have been a young woman approximately 20-25 years ago, therefore the eighties. We wanted to create the look of someone who was not your typical airhead, but someone real and not a Hollywood actress with perfect teeth, or airbrushed. The person running could be anyone, someone you meet in the street. This use of this actor and character is to create the sense of reality, and to bring the sense of danger much closer to home for the audience. Thus we believe that by the use of the character having a more realistic look, and her being killed, has nothing to do with her being a perfect, desirable individual, but it is more about something deeper than that, it questions that it is not the victims fault by any means; but rather the attacker and the person committing the crime is really to blame. We hoped that this would appeal to a larger audience because of the far more realistic approach to murder and that violence is often not perpetrated by the victim, whether directly or indirectly.

Main Task - Evaluation Q1

Q1 In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Horror films are generally a popular genre for the cinematic experience; they explore themes of fear and disgust. The basis behind using this genre to create our media product was to thrill the audience, and entice them to watch our movie. Also, there are many different types of horror, there are slasher movies, supernatural and phenomena, monster and alien, vampire and legend based horror films. There is something for everyone to enjoy, which is why we felt, that combining something supernatural with an opening where the girl is slashed to death, would enhance the sense of vulnerability for the viewer. The audience are lulled into thinking that this is a straight forward slasher mystery, but instead there is a supernatural theme that becomes more apparent in the storyline.

In regards to more conventional genres, there are romance movies, period dramas, comedy’s, however not everyone is stimulated by these themes; although fear is something that grips all of us. Hence the reason for choosing this theme.

For our opening film sequence, in Paranoia, we felt there was little need for dialogue. It was important that we draw the audience’s attention by the use of action, but with an opening scene where there was a clear sense of danger. Not a sense of foreboding, or something ominous to happen, as with most horror movies, from the outset the audience anticipate the actual horror part of the film. We decided to start with the horror straight away. Similarly to the Sixth Sense, where Bruce Willis is shot or Blade, where we see the protagonist kill the hoard of vampires in an underground raving party.

The movie was shot simply; to create the visual aspect of the Mise en Scene in our opening, we wanted to shoot on a cloudy day, and we were lucky in achieving this. However, if we could not, there are methods of editing and creating this affect, by dulling the tone of the film by using the editing software. Our composition was to remain fairly basic; we angled the camera to shoot from a low angle, with a sort of mid shot angle, but from the ground up, this would then develop into a long shot of the victim running away. We wanted to give the viewer an idea of where the setting is, the sort of landscape of dead leaves and to enhance a sense of barrenness in her surroundings. This also creates a claustrophobic feel, although she is out in the open, the shot is deliberately confined and they are only able to see the ground and a decrepit iron railing fence in this frame, her means of escape from whatever she is running away from are limited.

If for example we look at common movies like ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ the seventies version and the recent post 2000 remake, there are scenes in which the characters are out in the open, yet the shot of some of the frames where they are filmed close-up gives a sense of confinement, and this builds the tension for the audience. Or in the movie The Others, we see the family clearly surrounded by open fields, and a large house, yet again there is a sense of confinement. As we often see little else, we never see them leave the house or the grounds. In my opinion this builds genuine sense of imprisonment for the viewer themselves, in other words, what the characters are feeling is projected onto those observing the scene.

Overall, our main aim was to excite and stimulate the viewing experience from the offset of the film, we did not wish to film a chronological order of events, where the excitement builds later on in the movie. But rather from the beginning, to create a sense of insecurity and a sense of the unexpected as most horror movies are deemed to do so. There are movies that require a chronological storyline, like The Descent, where the story begins with six women getting together for a caving expedition, and then are faced mid way though the movie with monstrous, carnivorous creatures. The movie that I would personally liken ours to is the Sixth Sense, where one initial story also links with another separate story to make one complete tense picture for the audience.

Feedback For Our Final Production 'Paranioa'

The feedback was an important part of our film-making, we felt that it was best to get unbiased responses from the group that we screened the opening to. We felt that this would help our team to either re-edit parts of the movie for a better viewing experience, and also if we achieved the outcome that we desired. For us it was not just about quality in regards to how clear the picture may have seemed, but if we were able to create tension. With some viewers they preferred the X-ray edited effect, rather than the black and white effect, we did feel that the latter effect did not really work, however we gave it a chance with first screening. Clearly this was not preferred, so we chose to change the style here. All in all, we are pleased with the comments, we could not address all concerns, as we were restricted by time, and schedules clashing to organise re-filming or re-editing.

Sabah Sarwar - Opinion on Opening

Like I’ve said before I think that the overall final film was very professional and had showed clear evidence that the directors knew what they wanted. As a result of the passion and commitment they had, resulted in them producing a very good film. I prefer the effect that they have used this time round rather than the black and white version they produced.

If you were satisfied (Yes/No)


Yes I was. I would gladly sit in a cinema watching it as I don’t think I will get bored.


Rating out of 10


9/10


Tips that we could use next time


Choose a different ending such as when the boy jumped over as it went too slow.



Sonia Ahmed - Opinion on Opening

I think personally I liked the first version better because of the black and white effect. I didn’t like the way the credits came because of the constant used in it. I liked the sounds used such as the heartbeats.

If you were satisfied (Yes/No)


Yes I was. If the x-ray thing wasn’t there and left it black and white, then I would go to watch it at the cinema.


Rating out of 10


7/10


Tips that we could use next time

Leave it as a cliff-hanger at the end and put the film name in and that is when the film starts.　

Husaam Hussain - Opinion on Opening

Overall I think it was a good production for the final draft. The production logo was the improvement from the draft and it has fitted in to the opening scene well. The camera work seemed pretty professional and the background music suited the scene.

If you were satisfied (Yes/No)

Yes I was satisfied if they had changed the colour back to how it was before when it was black and white.

Rating out of 10


7/10


Tips that we could use next time

I think that next they should keep the colour of the flashback scenes in black and white.

Umar Hussain - Opinion on Opening

Overwhelmingly I sincerely believe the production of this opening scene has been done up to a great standard however I think that the editing for the flashback in the draft was better than the one in this final production.

If you were satisfied (Yes/No)

Yes I was very satisfied and if the changes I wrote were made then it would be perfect.

Rating out of 10

8/ 10

Tips that we could use next time

Use better and more active actors to make it more realistic such as Husaam Hussain and Umar Don Hussain.



Basil Hassan - Opinion on Opening


I think it worse than the first one. This is because it’s too much effect which makes it unprofessional. Too many effects take the tension away.


If you were satisfied (Yes/No)


No


Rating out of 10


4/10


Tips that we could use next time


Don’t use too much of the effects.



Shabir Dogar - Opinion on Opening

I believe the final draft of ‘paranoia’ is excellent, as the opening scene is very interesting; it gets you stuck in, you want to know why this girl is running, what she did. Why she did it. The music used in the background suits the tense scene. The effects such as ‘x-ray’ are good as they catch your attention, you can’t look away. However, once again the font used for credits isn’t the best as it’s hard to read the text.

If you were satisfied (Yes/No)

Yes I am and would really look forward to watching that in the cinema.　

Rating out of 10


10/10　


Tips that we could use next time

I think that everything was really good apart from the opening credits as they could be clearer and bigger.

Choi Tsang - Opinion on Opening

I liked the x-ray effect because it creates mystery and suspense. I liked the transactions that happen between each clip. I now like the shot of when he puts his hand on her as it creates tension which is because of the x-ray effect. I liked the way that the different camera angles have been used.

If you were satisfied (Yes/No)


Yes I was because of the interesting storyline.


Rating out of 10


8/10


Tips that we could use next time


To make sure there is no people in the background and cut out the natural sounds such as the wind; it ruins it slightly.



Our Opinions


Aabidah Ali (me) – Director Opinion on Opening

Overall the final draft of the opening was good. I think that the video effect was  brilliant seeing as it is meant to be a flashback; also the music went well with the scary scenes. Generally I am pleased with the outcome, seeing as we are new at being directors. The experience was frustrating at first but gratifying in the end.

If you were satisfied (Yes/No)


I am happy with the production.


Rating out of 10


8.5/10


Tips that we could use next time

Better equipment maybe and have the actors sign a contract so they are committed to doing the film.

Safina Rashid – Director Opinion on Opening

I think that since the draft, the production has improved very well and I think personally the x-ray effect looked better than the black and white as it looked more scary and dark. I think that the opening credits could have been a bit longer. I am in general quite pleased with the end result.

If you were satisfied (Yes/No)

I am quite happy with what the production looks like at the end and would say that I am satisfied with what I have created.

Rating out of 10


8.5/10


Tips that we could use next time

I think that we should next time film the shots during the time as when in the actual film it’s showed so that it matches and we can improve on how we worked the storyline to play out more so that it’s mysterious and not too complicated for the audience to understand.

Main Task - Final Production 'Paranioa'

Main Task - Editing

After we got all the filming done and were satisfied with our clips the next thing that we had to do was edit our clips and make sure it would come together as a 2 minute opening.


It took us a while to upload the actual clips because we forgot how to, as it had been a while since we used it. After we figured it out we uploaded our clips onto the Mac laptop, then we had to decide which order the clips were to be placed. After putting the clips in the correct order next step was to shorten some of the frames and clips, so that they followed the next frames on time and smoothly. For example we had to cut one of the clips where Nadia was running up to the gate entrance so it could match the next frame on time this was an important frame because of our brief (match on action) so we had to get it right.


One of the hardest clips we had to edit was when Nadia was sitting down and Memz was about to attack her with a branch from here we wanted to get Nadia’s point of view of the attack so Memz had to hit the camera but quite fast both these shots had to be quite consistent and fast. We had to get the first clip where you see Nadia about to be hit with the log, this was then matched with the second frame it was hard because we had to match how Memz was holding the Branch with the next shot which was Nadia’s point of view, doing this wasn’t easy but doing it few more times did help.


After shortening the clips till they were perfect the next thing we did was to add some video effects first we decided, where we should put the transactions this was quite fun to do because we got to experiment which transaction went well with the different clips, we didn’t want to keep every transaction the same because that would make it boring and dull we also wanted to use a transaction that fit in well with the clip. We put transactions in to show the viewers when there was a flashback and when it was showing in the present. While doing this we also decided to change the flashback clips into black and white flashbacks to create that past effect, but after doing this it didn’t look quite right because it was obvious we filmed during the day which didn’t look good to us. However as this was our first draft we still wanted other peoples opinions so we decided to let a group of people watch it. After getting the feedback for our first draft we decided to change the black and white appearance for the flashback scenes, from there we started to experiment with the different video effects which is why we decided to use the x-ray effect for our flashback scenes. As it was much darker and eerie, during the experimenting phase we also came across a video effect called heat wave which we used for our park clips because we wanted to give off a happy vibe. After getting all the video effects in we decided to slow some clips down because they were going too fast and vice versa. We did this to show some more emphasis on some of the clips, for example when she is running through the gate, we thought this scene went too quickly which is why we slowed it down and another example is when she is about to get killed we wanted to make this scene fast to shock the viewers.


The next thing we had to do was add the sounds in. We went through the different sounds and the music in iMovie 11 software, so as to try and find the right recording that would fit into our film. For example one of the sounds we used was police sirens in the end when Kate (Nadia), gets attacked to show that she didn’t escape but did get killed. We also used music that we altered by using garage band to play in the background faintly; this would give a scary effect to show something bad is going to happen. We wanted this music to be played in the background in all of our clips, also Safina made the piece of music in garage band. We wanted something original which is why we decided to try and make a chilling piece of music. Furthermore we used a sound clip for when the male character attacks the female character; we wanted to hear something when he hits her. Unfortunately we didn’t find the exact sound, but we did find something that worked well and would give the viewer a startling effect when they hear it. The most useful sound clip we used has to be the heart beat, when Kate is getting her breath back and to further the sense of tension.


The next step was the opening credits. This was quite fun to do and was very easy the only frustrating thing is that we had to do them over a couple of times, because when we would play the opening to see if it looked concise, sometimes the thickness of the font would make the words difficult to read. Next we had to decide on the speed of the words, when they came in and how long they should stay. Seeing as though we only had characters in our film opening, we decided to add a few more names to create a sense of authenticity to the 2 minute opening. After including all the actors’ names, we had to put in our names and job titles for the film. This showed the audience who made the film as well as who took on what responsibility for the making of the film, as we were given individual things to work on.


The next thing we did was put in our production logo, in the beginning to show the audience the company who made the film. We changed some things on the logo design; we made the blood on the logo brighter to make it stand out.


In the end we were very pleased with the editing that we had produced however we did change some aspects around that would become more noticeable by the audience for example the lighting and the sound of the music. We thought it was important to correct errors like this, which will mean the audience won’t be put off by mistakes; which is why we wanted the heartbeat sound to be really loud and some sounds to be lower than others in the film. We also changed some of the lighting in some of the clips to give off a darker background and lighter characters to make them more noticeable


Overall I was quite pleased with the editing at the end we worked especially hard at this stage because it was more difficult and important to get right. Seeing as this was our second attempt doing this we managed to do a good job in completing the work to its best quality and we are satisfied with the outcome also it has given me a skill which I would love to improve and use in the future.

Main Task - Software

The software I used to edit the film was iMovie on Mac laptop. IMovie is effortless and resourceful, with more time in using it, I got to see different sound effects and transitions we could use, and how to change the speed and video effects. This time Safina was able to take part in the editing and she really enjoyed it, she got to play around with the features and we tried different things to see which effects worked best. Even though editing the film was enjoyable and fun, because it was new to us there were some problems we encountered with the screaming shot, sometimes you could hear the screams and sometimes you couldn’t.


Using such software helped heighten the fear factor in our film, as well as helping to make the quality of the video effect better and the background sound.


The second software we used was ‘Garage Band’ this software aided us in making the music for the film. Although none of us have any training in playing an instrument, the software had an introductory tutorial. Initially we felt frustrated with ‘Garage Band’; it seemed as if we were at a disadvantage for not knowing how to play an instrument. But gradually, as with a lot of computer based software’s, it is a matter of experimenting and exploring the sounds.


At first we were quite frustrated because this was completely different and new, and we thought we had to start to learn an instrument. But gradually after completing the tutorial we came to enjoy playing the virtual instruments.

The software actually had some short pieces of music pre-recorded, all we did was change the instruments, made it longer, and added a few other sound effects. I think for me this was my favourite software to work on because we didn’t have any technical problems with it, it was fun to use after we knew how to use it and we created music instead of just listening to it for a change.

Main Task - Final Production Logo

This is our film’s final production logo. Our name is called ‘Sister Productions’, I drew this by hand because it was easier but I did originally want to design it on the computer. I had access to cad software through a relative, however this is a complex piece of software to use, and involved him directly teaching me, which we both had little time for. I wanted draw something that was related to our film genre we chose to have a heart being stabbed because it represents what our production company are more likely make and produce horror films for example Disney productions only make films that are family oriented and that will entertain kids. If I had more time the banner going across the heart would have had our production name here, however I was pressed with completing the movie.

Feed back on first draft

When we finished our first draft within our group we showed, it to a small group of people in our target audience; and asked them their opinion on the film. We wanted to find out what areas of the film were not good, and areas that could be improved. Where the group thought that there were areas in which we could improve, we hoped this sort of unbiased feedback would help us to learn how we can complete the final draft. Below is some of the feedback from the initial screening we set up for a group of fellow student, most were an audience of 15-16 years old, which is the certification for our movie.

Sabah Sarwar - Opinion on the Opening

Overall, I found that the film that was made by Sister Productions was very good and looked very professional. From the opening scene I could clearly illustrate what the film was about. As well as it being a good production the actors were very good and had showed clear sign of good acting. This was probably due to the fact that the directors were very efficient and knew what they wanted.

What needs to be improved?

If there was something to improve about the film it was the end acting scene to where the actor (Memz Karakus) lacked the role. By this I mean the jump he did to hit Nadia was a bit slow. 　

Sonia Ahmed - Opinion on the Opening

I liked the whole concept of the film and it makes sense. Where they have put in the sound effects, I think they should have taken the natural sounds out. The credits at the start are coming too quickly not letting the audience see them.

What needs to be improved?

I think that opening credits could maybe be slowed down a bit. They need to put in the production logo at the start.

Husaam Hussain - Opinion on the Opening

Overall I think it was a good production for the first draft. The camera work seemed pretty professional and the background music suited the scene. There were good effects used as well.

What needs to be improved?

The thing I think could be improved is the style of font for the credits; it should be clearer so the person watching can read it properly.

Umar Hussain - Opinion on the Opening

I think that it has been done professionally. Over the shoulder shot was used in a professional manner and the editing effects was done in a high standard. The background engaged the audience and it makes you want to carry on watching ahead. I really liked the flashback idea; it seems that it has been done by a professional editor.

What needs to be improved?

I think that they should add in the production logo.

Basil Hassan - Opinion on the Opening

I think that it is dramatic and builds tension for the audience. The way the roundabout makes the audience anxious about what’s going to happen.

What needs to be improved?

They should keep the camera steady.

Shabir Dogar - Opinion on the Opening

After watching the first draft of ‘paranoia’, I think the storyline is very good. This is because it makes me want to watch on and is very interesting.

What needs to be improved?

I believe the font used for credits should be changed as it is barely visible on the background.

Choi Tsang - Opinion on the Opening

I think that it is good but it’s not as scary as it should be because of the people in the background. The background music is high quality and suited the atmosphere. It doesn’t create the suspense because it should be quick.

What needs to be improved?

I think that scene should be speed up a bit.

Our Opinions

Director: Aabidah Ali (me) - Opinion on the Opening

I think the first draft was good but the only problem we had was the lighting as we were filming in the daylight. Though we changed it to black and white, I could see the errors that we made in it due to the sun.

What needs to be improved?

I think that we should really have done the night shots at night so that the audience can see that it is clearly in the night. We also could have choreographed better. We should have got Nadia screaming at the right time.

Director: Safina Rashid - Opinion on the Opening

In my opinion, I think that the first draft was quite good despite being our first attempt. However there are a few things that I disliked about the production such as the black and white effect where you can see the sun in the background. This is because it is supposed to be dark showing that it’s a horror film. I also didn’t like that at some points where the camera is moving, it wobbles a bit. Another thing which is quite frustrating is that Nadia starts to scream when she is walking backwards however this isn’t shown in the production as its been cut out and the audience only hear her scream at the end shot. On the Mac, the credits are shown clearly and are big however on the computer it comes up fuzzy which doesn’t look right.

What needs to be improved?

I think that we should find a way to find to get Nadia’s scream back in where she starts to scream as it shows that she is scared. Also we need to sort out the opening credits and keep them clear so that the audience can see them. We should also do the night shots when it is actually dark.



*Saman Ali was unable to comment.

Paranoia - First Draft

This is our first draft of our horror opening. In this we decided to have the flashback scenes in black and white to show the viewer this is something that took place in the past. When we did this we saw that the black and white effect didn’t come out too well as it was obvious that we had filmed it during the day, because of the sun reflecting off the camera lens, we wanted to ideally have these shots to be in twilight or closer to the evening. The initial scenes shots did not give off that eerie tone we wanted. These problems we faced are experiences we learned from, with the various video effects to choose from and different colour changes we could change the tone to have a chilling and unsettling effect.


Another problem we had was that some scenes went too quickly. This may annoy the viewers because they might not be able to follow the film if the shots are too quick. To correct this we needed to work with the speed of some scenes to make sure that the frames were at a perfect pace to follow.


The other responsibility I undertook was that we had not put in the production logo for this draft, unfortunately we all decided on the logo quite late. And we were having trouble with the scanners at school, but we will be including it in our final horror opening film.

Main Task - Props

We used these props in our film to make our Mise en scene to add to the sense of danger, we did not require expensive props to use for the film, we made do with our surroundings, costs are important to keep low and we took this into consideration:

A side bag

For the female character to drop her bag, and not have time to pick it up, enhances that the danger element is greater. This was provided by the actress, again we needed something that was dull in tone, and fitted in with the character.

A decrepit log

With which she is killed, as well as a large trunk of a fallen tree, where the killer batters her.

Main Task - Mise en Scene

For our horror film we wanted a dark, creepy, chilling Mise en scene. We wanted to visually create a frightening atmosphere for the audience so they can see what’s happening which would affect their feelings. To make our horror Mise en scene we chose locations which looked secluded, with lots of trees. Also the villain in our story wore dark clothing as to show that he is bad, we also wanted to hide his face to keep the audience guessing.


It was up to us to choose the right features in order to create that tense and frightful background. We felt for our opening the most important aspect was the location, we decided to conduct the filming in South Park because it still has original pre-war iron railing and a rusty gate, for the girl to run through. The trees that are grouped together worked well in our Mise en scene, and the path at the back of the park had very few people, if any, passing through. This was littered with dead leaves, which helped in setting our initial frame, where the camera is shot from the ground up.

   

We would have preferred a far more woodland and thick forest area for the Mise en Scene, and because of time and distance, (as the actors, and group did not wish to stray too far). The location where the female character is killed is more open plan than we would have preferred. A far more claustrophobic and confined grouping of tree’s would have incited these feelings onto the viewer, however in the abundance of fallen, dead leaves made up for the lack of having a thick forest setting in the frames.



The Second thing I decided on was the costume for the villain in our film. I wanted him to wear scary and dark clothes, so to give the viewer the sense of things not seeming right and he’s the bad character.

Main Task - Costumes

For the female character I wanted the costumes to be fashionable by today’s standard, but not too far from what was worn in the Eighties decade.  After researching into what sort of trends were popular during this period, I decided to use dull colours, but shapes and styles that represented this era the best. As you can see below.

Purple bandanna, Khaki Chinos, Black Blazer Jacket, Black T - Shirt and Light Brown Loafers

Dark Navy

For the male character I wanted his costume to be quite dark and intimidating. I also wanted him to wear a hooded top because I wanted him to hide his face.

Black Hooded Top and Dark Navy Blue Jeans

  

Main Task - Crew

Our production crew was made up of Safina Rashid and Saman Ali and including me, all three of us had different roles in order to complete the film:

Safina Rashid

Safina was the director and camera woman. She was good with the camera; she knew which camera angles she wanted to use. She also knew how to position the camera and she was creative. Also she took the responsibility to find new replacement actors for our film, her perseverance paid off. When we started to edit the film Safina did most of it as she enjoyed this, I gave her ideas where we could add effects. When we found out we had to make a piece of music to go with the film opening, we decided to use Garage Band. We mixed and matched sounds to get the right effect that would go with the film. Every time we edited Safina was always there to go over and check for any errors, we would often stay after school to try to finish editing the film. All in all she was a big help with the camera and with the editing.

Aabidah Ali - me

I tried to help with casting even though it became laborious. I was present when we would shoot the scenes, as I was in charge in bringing the equipment; also I contributed in directing and especially in choreography. I liked getting involved and showing the actors how they should play the characters, and what there body language should say. I was also in charge of the costumes, it was important that the clothes represented the characters appropriately. I liked doing the editing because it was for longer this time and we got to see different effects that we could use. Which I thought was a good thing, as we had a wider range of effects to choose from and if it went with the scene we kept it, if it didn’t we got rid of it.

Saman Ali

Unfortunately Saman was unable to participate in the production because of her timetable. She would have lessons when we would have frees. However, when she was around to help in the filming she did open us to different ideas in how to shoot each scene. Saman was present when we were shooting the first playground scenes, but because of some lighting and voices in the background we had to do these shots again. She also made an effort to meet us at one point when we were editing the film to input ideas.

Main Task - Casting

In our horror film there are two central characters; one is Katie stalked by an unknown shadow. The second is Dr Macbeth a psychiatrist that tries to help Katie with her fears. Except in our 2 minute film opening, both of these characters are not present. This is because we decided to open the narrative with an unexplained scene, which really belongs in the mid point of the film. We want the audience watch a puzzling climax at the opening, so they would feel like watching the rest of the film. The opening clip shows Katie’s mother and her murderer, further along into the film the mystery behind this murder will be unravelled by Katie.

We had so many problems with casting people for these two roles, it was often frustrating because we had to change our actors many times, before we actually came across two actors that stuck with us till the final piece. The original actor to play the male character was Furhaad Ahmed he agreed to act in our production; but at the very last minute he was unable to do the acting because of his own production and because he refused to come after school to do the filming. After Furhaad turned us down we decided to ask other males if they could act in our film, most refused because they felt camera shy and they couldn’t act. Some were unable partake due to there schedules clashing with our free time and vice versa. In the end to find a replacement, we then got ideas of getting a girl to just dress up as a boy seeing as the character’s face would be covered up anyway, we didn’t think it was that important if we did get a boy. But in the end we decided not to follow through with this idea because the viewers may figure out that we used a girl to play a male character, and we wanted to create authenticity. Eventually we got someone to play the male character in our film, he was reliable, his schedule matched ours and he was willing to come after school as well.

But unfortunately this time the female actress Sabah Sarwar decided to back out because of her job clashing with our filming schedule, but replacing her was easy because another female confirmed before the casting of this film that she would be happy to help and act if need be.

Actors In Our Film

Nadia Hafiz

The actress playing the role of Katie’s mother is Nadia Hafiz. We chose Nadia because she is talented; she also has past experience due to a grade A in GCSE drama. She was consistently professional, originally when casting there were many who had difficulty keeping a straight face, wasting more time doing the shots over and over again. This was draining the cameras battery, it was frustrating when they would just keep laughing and give up trying to be serious. However when we did the shots with Nadia she followed my direction perfectly, and acted with passion. She didn’t laugh once, she was professional throughout and she gave some input on how we could make each shot better, which was helpful. There was only one problem we had, which occurred in the early shots. Nadia had trouble with trying to keep a scared and tired expression. But we worked with her off the camera showing her examples and explaining how we wanted her to do her facial expression. After practising with her off camera, she finally understood the emotion behind the facial expression required. Nadia Hafiz was hardworking, hands on actress we had the pleasure to work with.

Memz Karakus

The actor playing the male character is Memz Karakus. He was patient and focused when I was choreographing his movements and how we wanted him to approach the victim. In the opening scene, you don’t really see Memz’s character for long but through out the movie his character plays a vital role. We wanted Memz to hide his face and only show his eyes to show the audience that he is the murderer. Also we didn’t want to expose his identity too soon. Memz understood his characters role and how to play it. I was pleased with his acting seeing as this was his first time in doing an acting role.

Actor's that were picked originally

Sabah Sarwar

Sabah Sarwar was originally chosen to play the character of Katie’s mother in the beginning of our production. With Sabah we did half of our camera shots with her and they turned out well, even though Sabah has had no previous experience in acting. The best shot that really came out well was, when we needed a shot of her face, her facial expressions and her body language were good because you knew she was scared. And because she actually was tired of all the running, this made the shot more convincing; this shot could have been great if we could have continued working with her. Unfortunately we were unable to complete her shots because she would forget to wear the characters costume we agreed on, the male actor wouldn’t turn up to do his shots with her and the she had to back out of the production because her job was clashing with our filming schedule.

Furhaad Ahmed

Furhaad Ahmed was chosen to play the role of the mysterious murderer originally. The only good thing that came out of his leaving the production was we didn’t lose any work with him as we didn’t do any filming with him. However it was a nightmare to replace him. Furhaad left the production due to our filming schedules clashing and he himself also had to get his own production filmed as well. Fortunately for us we did find a replacement that was available and suitable for the role.



In the end the cast that we did film with for our production couldn’t have been better, they were understanding and patient with us when we would explain or ask them to redo a certain shot. Both individuals worked hard in our film to complete it. in the future for actors not to back out in the last minute, me and Safina decided to make sure they will be free and nothing will come in the way for them to leave.