Day 4; Filming

Today i did a of filming as after creating my first draft i came to the conclusion that there were gaps which prevented my trailer from being as i envisioned it. I resolved this by filming for footage in which helped made the story line clearer whilst doing this i also experimented more a variety of camera angles to add diversity and make it have more professional outcome. Firstly I found some old film of my auntie as a little girl of whom has similar features to my protagonist. I did this as it can foreshadow her psychotic character now with the innocence she withhold when she was younger. This comparison is effective as it adds more depth and really allows my audience to connect with my trailer. I got this idea from a trailer i came across whilst i was searching for inspiration in which i could adapt and use in my own. 

 

 

I personally found this very hard hitting as it proposed questions as to what happened to the woman to make her characteristics change so much. I simply played the film on a television in a dark room, this is because it added a more sinister feeling and avoided any features in the room diverting any attention. I spent a considerable amount of time doing this as i wanted to shots to be relevant therefore i chose ones of her face closeup and playing like any 'normal' child would. From this i was given ideas in which i could help show connections with the little girl to make the link clearer.

One of the main issues i had depicted with my footage so far is that i didn't believe my characters profile was constructed as much as i wanted it to be. Consequently my aim was to do this, i filmed my character standing on street corner  trying to get cars to stop with a gesture named 'thumbing' followed by her walking up to a car and leaning into it. I believe these shots helped the audience uncover her possession and view her as a predator. I filmed this through a variety of long shots and closeup shots in order to experiment and ensure that every little detail was included. These shots were also slightly different in the way i dressed my actress, prior to this shoot she was filmed wearing more typical hooker clothing, with short skirts and low cut tops however i dressed my actress in a scruffier outfit to show her lack of class. 

I then went to the woods which i had previously filmed in in order to reiterate links. I showed my protagonist walking away from a dead body which came out very chilling. I filmed her swinging on a rope swing, this was because in the film of my auntie, she is shown doing so, therefore i believe this will look extremely good as it will show strong links. I finally filmed extreme closeups and cut away shots of my protagonist in the woods, looking muddy and disgruntled to reinforce her psychopathic ways.

Thriller magazine inspiration

I have created a mood board of different thriller magazine posters, this has given me insight into what conventions they display. I am able to depict aspects which i think look good and will conciser using for my final piece  and others elements which i do not believe are beneficial. From these magazine covers  my initial though is that they are incredibly busy and incorporate lots of  detail both in the visuals and in the taglines. There are key themes which stand out to me from even just a glance, for example there is generally only one person in the frame, more likely to be a male, this is because they are stereotypically more butch and fearful. The color red is also incorporated into many of the posters, this is due to its negative connotations of fear, danger and blood, all of which are key elements of thriller films. Finally the typography is extremely exaggerated and powerful, this ads more emphasis and coincides with the intensity of the main images. I am going to pick the three that inspire me the most and analyse them in further detail in my next post. 

Day 3 filming

Today i went to derelict location, although i hadn't initially planned this for my trailer, i came to the conclusion that showing my protagonist simply shooting her victims, isn't very graphic. Therefore i decided to use a run down location in order to show her victims being brutally tortured, this will make my trailer appear more scary and therefore reinforce my genre. I used one male actor and with some helped used makeup to create the illusion that he has been beaten, this will show my audience the extend of my protagonists actions and consequently make her come across more terrifying. I filmed a variety of different shots, from numerous angles of the actor looking like hes suffering and also cut in shots of his scars and bruises. I also made sure i got some good footage of the location, this is to establish the setting and also create a more eerie atmosphere. My next step is to film more of my protagonist in order to build her character profile more, this is essential as the audience will be able to build an opinion of her whilst adding more meaning to the trailer. 

Format research; Film poster

This research has really helped me to develop more knowledge on the key codes and conventions of a thriller poster. Beforehand i knew what was typical of a poster in general, however i was unsure how one of this particular genre differed. The key thing that i picked up was that less is definitely more, it is important to create enigmas by not giving to much away. I have also acknowledged that when there is to much going on, concerning images and writing, that a sense of eeriness and suspense is withdraw. I am going to apply this knowledge to when i come to create my thriller poster, in order to create a chilling yet professional looking piece. This research has helped me come to a few important conclusions, i am only going to use my protagonist on my poster, this will ensure that she is the main focal point and that when my audience come to watch the film, there preconceptions can be challenged. I also want a sense of darkness to be amplified in my poster, this is because my trailer is orientated mainly around the night, therefore this will reflect that whilst also creating a fear factor. Finally i have decided to not over exaggerate my typography, as from my prior research i have depicted that this will take attention away from the image whilst making it look more ammeter. This research has been really beneficial for my process and has definitely helped me see thriller posters in a new and more advanced light. 

Day 2; filming

Today i filmed scenes in the woods and at a decrepit location. I faced some challenges in the woods, as because they are enclosed i have to film in the light in order to ensure my footage doesn't loose any detail. However i don't think it was as effective as it lost the quality of eeriness i hoped to achieve. Therefore i am going to edit the filming i do have to make it look darker and see if this is visually pleasing. Although if this does not give me the outcome i want, i will re film this section at a later time in the day. The woods were successful for filming body parts hiding beneath the leaves, they look really scary and definitely realistic. I also filmed wide shots of my protagonists walking towards and away form the camera with a gun in her hand this plants enigmas and reinforces the conventions of a thriller as weaponry is a common feature.  I also found a new location for a scene in my film, it is a run down old pub, i took some shots of the interior of the building which involved smashed glass and old furniture, i believe this will be useful in my filming as it follows conventions of a thriller of being isolated. I used a torch to shine on particular parts of the interior, this allowed more detail to be portrayed yet also creating the effect that someone is in there shining the torch. I think this scene creates quite a lot of suspense as it almost makes you think that somethings going to jump out of the darkness. My next step is to go back to this location with my actors and film my torture scenes. 

movie poster inspiration

I have research some movie posters in order to gain insight into what i believe will be the most visually effective for my final piece. From this research i have managed to narrow my options down to not only the ones which suit my genre though would suit my narrative to. As my trailer is predominantly about one female actress, i think it is crucial to only incorporate her into my film poster. As you can see all of the above only include one character of whom are in the center of the frame, this is powerful as we are not distracted by any other factors which may take attention of the subject in the frame. The eye line positioning also allows us to really build a connection with the person, this is enhanced by the use of closeup and the fact that it appears that they are staring at us also suits the thriller genre as it is unsettling. Another aspect of these images which i find interesting is the use of  deformity constructed by the editing, whether its in the form of high contrast or cracking of the face, we can immediately tell that there is something sinister and unsettling about the subject, therefore enigma is created and this is before the audience even watch the film. I have also depicted that most thriller posters abstain from using bright colors and therefore tend to revolve around darker shades, this is powerful as we are instantly able to detect the genre though it also create tension as we are left questioning who or what may be creating the obscurity. Despite this, as you can see the color red as been integrated into a couple of the posters, this is a typical conventions due to its graphic connotations of danger and blood. When it comes to typography, it is clear that it is not that significant on the page and therefore is presented to use in smaller and daintier fonts, this is because the attention is aiming to be on the character. However my placing the typography below the face of the actor, our eyes are naturally drawn to it after, this ensures that the audience will be able to distinguish these important details. From doing this research i have decided to only include my protagonist in the frame, i also will adhere to the dark color schemes and smaller typography, in order to gain the best results i can.  

Day 1; filming

My first day of filming was very successful, i manged to film shots from various scenes. I filmed in the evening as i planned, in order to create a more sinister atmosphere. I was initially worried about the light effecting the quality of my footage, however this was resolved by using street lights for the alley way scenes, this actually was really effective as it allowed me to experiment with different lighting techniques whilst still obtaining a sense of realism. I managed to film various shots of my protagonist in the alley way, from different camera angles and cut away.  Therefore when i go to edit i will have many to chose from in order to gain the full effect, as i discovered i am better of having to much footage than not enough. I also drove through some country lanes, filming shots from inside and outside the car. The car lights were really beneficial as it allowed some detail to be revealed though still maintained aspects of mystery. I faced some issues with lighting from outside the car as the car lights predominantly focused on my protagonists legs, this made it uneven and visually dissatisfy, i solved this by also using a very bright torch to even out the exposure.   I explored a variety of cut in shots of my driver, in order to give the audience some information as to whom he may be and to reinforce why she may be in the car. I also went to the bar to film numerous shots of my protagonist drinking alone in a bar, however after filming the shots i initially intended to, i realized that it may add more meaning if i show her drinking with an unknown person, i did this through over the shoulder shot, i really like these shots as they create tension. I used two costumes for these scenes, which i meticulously chose, they are both stereotypical of the type of person i want the audience to perceive her as, therefore i used a black leather skirt, black cropped top with ripped tights, this made my character look uncouth and highlighted her dark side. I also incorporated provocative red dress, which could foreshadow her evil side, this was also very visually enticing due to its brightness.