Music

Music would have to follow a stereotypical horror soundtrack, until the reveal of our hero, which would have music more akin to an action film.

Script Full

Two women are walking down a dirt track in a rural area, only a few houses are seen. They are deeply engaged in a conversation while on the way to a train station.
Woman 1: well I dont know anymore. I'm not sure whether to go to uni or not, I mean, the prices are extortianate.
Woman 2: Yeah, I mean current...(footsteps) wait who's that ahead.
Four hooded youths begin to approach the two women. A close up of their faces show a scar of an eight pointed star.
Woman 1: Oh God... I knew we shouldnt have cut through here.
Woman 2: Wait, I know them...
Woman 1; What, how do you...
Lead hoodie walks up to the women.
Lead hoodie: Well what are two lovely women doing out at this time of night, someone might... Disappear...
Pans to hero running. A loud scream is heard from woman. Pans back to hoodie leader holding the throught of woman 1. Vigalante walks casually towards the group, flitting under street lights and in the open.
Lead Hoodie: Hey, keep walkinn, this aint none of your conce...
Lead Hoodie is about to land the killing blow when Vigalante grabs his arm.
Vigalante: Leave... now...
Lead Hoodie: Hey get a load of this guy, don't try to be a hero.
Vigalante: I'm not...
Vigalante punches hoodie around the face, as he falls, you can clearly see the 8 pointed star.
Hoodie 1: He... he punched him, come on don't let him get away with it.
Other 2 Hoodie's: "Mumurs"
Lead hoodie still on floor wipes his face of blood and stands up.
Lead Hoodie: NOW!
An exchange of blows between the group and Vigalante leads to every member being knocked unconcious.
Woman 1: She's dead... Dead. And I would have been, but... you didnt get here quicker. Why me and her? WHY!
Woman 1 breaks down and cries whilst also gasping for breath.
Vigalante: I'm so sorry. I tried.
Woman 1: Its not your fault. It's theirs.
Sounds of sirens in the distance, whilst Vigalante flees.

Make-up

There will not be a lot of make up involved. The minor amount of make up involved will include:
Any make up the women want.
The eight pointed star design
Fake, yet realistic looking blood.
Although not a lot, these are quite crucial for developing the realism. If the blood is just watered down ketchup, then there will be a feel of less realism. Therefore, we should at the least spend about a pond fifty on fake blood.
The eight pointed star design also will have to show through to create an aura of mystery. This also eludes to a greater mystery.

Location- Discuss

The locations chosen are all country lanes. Although strictly speaking, not a horror movie, the country lanes are all by a heavily wooded, abandoned area. This could create a fell of fear and uncertainty. These areas also don't require that much of editing while editing the rest of the scenes. The darkness will also be useful for adding in noise as a mood creator. Noises such as heavy breathing and footsteps would act as a way of the audience to want to know what is following the two women.

Costume

The type of costumes we have decided to go for is quite simplistic. The main character and the group of antagonists all wear hoodies. The gang are just wearing traditional "Chav" clothing, yet they will not act like chavs. The main antagonist also wears a hoodie, but wears simple jeans and also a balaclava to disguise his face. The two women can simply wear casual clothing. This simple choice of costume can show that evil comes in all shapes and form in terms of the youths.

Location ideas-real life.

1st part of script

Two women are walking down a dirt track in a rural area, only a few houses are seen. They are deeply engaged in a conversation while on the way to a train station.
Woman 1: well I dont know anymore. I'm not sure whether to go to uni or not, I mean, the prices are extortianate.
Woman 2: Yeah, I mean current...(footsteps) wait who's that ahead.
Four hooded youths begin to approach the two women. A close up of their faces show a scar of an eight pointed star.
Woman 1: Oh God... I knew we shouldnt have cut through here.
Woman 2: Wait, I know them...
Woman 1; What, how do you...
Lead hoodie walks up to the women.
Lead hoodie: Well what are two lovely women doing out at this time of night, someone might... Disappear...
Pans to hero running. A loud scream is heard from woman. Pans back to hoodie leader holding the throught of woman 1. 

Cast and Crew

Actors and actresses:
Connor Wright
Jasmine Bann
Harry James
Guy Bonnefoy
Director: Josh Hodes
Editing: Connor Wright
Costume: Everyone
Music/ sound: Connor Wright
Props: Josh Hodges
Screenwright: Josh Hodges
Storyboarding: Connor Wright

Storyboard

Needs to be completed on paper.

Final Film Genre and Idea.

A superhero/ phycological horror film is an interestintg concept. It is our final idea.
Early Story Design:
A woman and her female companion are walking down the street, a group of youths, clearly part of some sect or minor cult (matching scars/ odd clothing) appear and attack. Screen goes black as one woman is heard screaming. Next we see the hero under a street light walking slowly towards the group, one woman is unconscious and the other is dead and bleeding heavily. Group now begins to turn to hero and begin to insult him and threating him. He then proceeds to beat the living daylight out of the group. Now concious woman is about to thank him, although crying because of her friend, but he has moved on...

Location possibility 1.

There is a particular area of Ashtead Common that I and a few other people have been to over the last summer holidays. There is a large fire pit and lots of long grass. In this area however, there is a small side passage of woods where, when someone looks down it, looks strangely reminiscent of the film Sleepy Hollow.
I will try to get some pictures of the area ASAP.

Idea for film. Number 2

A murder mystery, crime drama film would interest me greatly. These are cheap to make, even just for a short clip, and can present some deep insight into a criminals mind. Although a 2 minute long production couldnt really delve into the psyche of a criminal, it could present the beginnings of a complex cat and mouse tale, or something similar to Silence of the Lambs. That as a matter of fact would be a great influence for the kind of mystery film i would like to make. The way that Anthony Hopkins acts in this film makes him seem cold and calculating, but at the same time his intellect is most prominent, the polar opposite of the other antagonist, Buffalo Bill.

Idea for film. Number 1

A horror movie would be a good idea, in my opinion, for the project. Horror films (excluding sci-fi horrors) are usually quite small budget movies e.g. Dog Soldier. Although creating the right atmosphere would be hard, there are some areas in Ashtead and Leatherhead that would serve as an excellent murder scene location. It would probably have to be a slasher film rather than a monster or new age horror film. (Saw, Hostel etc.) This is because, unless you create an unseen monster/ alien, there would be difficulty in how to create the monster. With new age horror I personally wouldnt want to recreate any torture devices, even if unreal and harmless. It would present a large ethical dilemma for me. 
One example of a cheap and effective (although monster) horror film.

The Millenium Triolgy

Based on the novels by Stieg Larsson, a swedish writer and ex-journalist, the millenium Triolgy focuses on the story of two main characters, the middle-aged journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, and the young, troubled Lisbeth Salander. The films involve a very depressing atmosphere combined with mystery and intrigue. This gives off an aura of mystery within the audience. I could incorparate themes into a murder mystery story if I decided to follow that route in the film production and storyboarding. Things such as a chase scene would be easy to recreate.

Silence of the Lambs

Silence of the lambs is one of the most famous horror films in the world. I would like to take inspiration from this film and I believe it to be akin to a piece of art. Silence involves the story of a young detective who needs to solve the case of buffalo Bill, via the help of the infamous serial cannibal Hannibal Lector. Every inch of the film is a mystery as, unknowingly, the two main antagonists are actually playing the main protagonist against each other. this would make an exellent adition to a list of ideas about traditional phycolocical horror.

The Cyclops (1957)

The early days of cinema had had many monster movies, much more than in the present day we seem to make, many which used (then) high tech computing. However, this movie merely super imposes a fight between an iguana and a gowana lizard. In theory, this would be easier to incorparate in a film, but it would lose a layer of realism. the music isnt that groundbreaking either and seems repetitive. overall this would not be a good incorparation.

A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange is a surrealist film based in London. This was banned in several countries because of the gratuitous amounts of violence and the graphic sex scenes. This in my opinion, is one of the great surrealism films of its time because of the great acting and sets. Initially I was a little removed from the scene from many of the scenes, but it is clearly used in an artistic manner. This may not be a great idea to recreate for a film project however, various lawsuits may ensue.

Luigi's Mansion Theme

Now a bit of an odd comparison here, but the theme to the early gamecube game Luigi's Mansion, I think is quite scary for a family orientated game. If this could be used in a film, there could be a definite chill in the air. The effect it has on me is that it causes me to actually get goose bumps when it reaches the quire section of the theme. This may not reflect the overall impact, but this is my own experiance.

Horror Music ideas

The theme from saw encapsulates the "torture porn genre". At first it starts out as a traditional eery them, but eventually develops into a more action packed theme. For a final piece, music like this would be a change from the usual keyboard one note at a time themes normally associated with the horror genre. Although I find that the saw series peaked at 1 and 6 (all the others bored me) the music still is great and i actually enjoy this piece of film music.

Silent Hill opening

 Silent Hill is a prime example of how a horror movie should begin. A worried mother looking for her lost child. The opening is dark and uncertain. The bear at the beginning adds an emphasis of fear from the very beginning. The idea of a child in a horror film is not a new one, but is one that still has a large impact on the audience. If I were to do a horror movie for my final 2 minutes, I could take some inspiration from this. The music for instance is dark and eery, which can add a layer of confusion and doubt as to what their about to watch. The setting is urban which would be quite easy to recreate, apart from the sheer cliff face and the burning croos.

Blog Feedback

You are falling behind in your research and planning and your blog page is becoming a cause for concern Josh - there is less analysis of film openings than expected and no evidence of planning towards your own film. Post about your genre choice and reasons for it, ideas, script, storyboard, photos of location, interviews with actors, questionnaire some of your target audience and mindmap their interests. Use the planning sheet and address these areas of concern.

Preliminary Task

180 rule

This is our attempt at the 180 rule in filming. In filmmaking, the 180° rule is a basic guideline that states that two characters in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other.The new shot from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

 The opening of Revenge of the Sith begins with an overhead shot of a large spaceship with two smaller ships flying towards it. instantley the audience knows that this is going to have a lot of time in space and on various planets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGAgnN9SSLE
There is a flurry of action in the opening scenes and you can see the amount of production and time taken for this film. Although the film actually starts with a crawl, I have chosen this point because this is the actual "starting point".

Jurassic Park- Genre Music

Music can have a large impact on the audience depending on the film in question, or the genre. In jurassic park, the theme first shows a smooth melody which can portray a gentle film despite the true nature of the film. The music then changes tone and becomes louder and the scifi epic genre really becomes the thing that you think of.

Crime Cliches

Most crime films start off with an introduction to the lead characters and how they became a member of a crime syndicate. Usually they think its
1. The only way to get ahead in life.
2.They were wronged by the authorities at a young age
In gangster films there is usually a code of honour, such as looking out for the "Family" or the "Neighbourhood". If someone breaks this there will be serious consequences, such as broken bones or death, all of which are obtained by "falling down some stairs"
There is also a running them of a cop in amongst the criminals.

Comedy Cliches

Contemporary comedy cliches are incredibly important for the genre. Cliches often used include a romantic sub-plot. There is usually a slob or a loser who falls in love with a beautiful, but shy girl. He then has to overcome the impending disasters facing him, usually caused by the bumbling best friend or his need to stop being a loser. An example for the second option is Yes Man. This also includes a lot of physical comedy as well.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UAcQVqy1BU
Another cliche is the bumbling father who wants his kids to think he is cool and therefore acts like a teenager. This can even lead to a mystical wish which ends up turning him into a child. This happens in the film big.
There is also lots of blood and flatulence which adds to the aspect of physical comedy.

Batman Returns opening

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuMZHOHlpws
The opening of this film reveals the origin of the penguin. The actual clip only shows the penguin in his crib, but before the opening credits start, his mother and father throw him in his crib into a sewage system because he was born with deformities. This imediately shows that this film id a dark film which focuses on the villain rather than focusing on the hero like in most action/ super hero films.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: Opening

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrCn6G7cp5I
The beginning of Temple of Doom doesnt really suggest what will happen later on in the film, however it does set the opening few scenes. As these women sing you can instantly tell that they are not in an English speaking country because, for a start, they are speaking an unusual form of cantonese. They sing in cantonese despite the fact that they should be singing in mandarin chinese. The setting is of course China. To be more specific Hong Kong. This also introduces one of the main characters of the film without revealing her future role. The lead singer becomes a leading role in the film and helps out Indiana and Small Round (another lead character) in many situations. Yet this is only hinted at in the opening 2 minutes.

Action Cliché's

Action movies are some of the most exiting films out there. This is due to the many cliches found in this genre of movie. Cliches such as explosions and "muscle men" are used to great extent and add a layer of exitement to an already exiting genre. Action cliches include...
Explosions and big guns
Incredibly inaccurate enemies.
Usually ex armed forces.
Racially stereotypical enemies e.g. Russians
Femme fataeles, excluding Angelina Jolie.
Slow motion is used widely in action films for dramatic effect, as well as the famous bullet-dodging effect, popularised by The Matrix.

Blog Feedback

Research and Planning 10/20: Some really good ideas Josh - but this should be an ongoing research project and you should be spending and hour for every lesson you see me adding to your blog. Analyse the effects of even more film openings and comment on films within the genres we have studied. Add mind maps and youtube uploads to make your blog page even better to move into the higher bands. A good start Josh - push yourself to guarantee brilliant marks!

Horror Cliches

Cliches are the life blood of the Horror genre. Without the body in the cupboard or the blonde bimbo who finds the body it simply isnt a traditional horror. Various other clichés include the almost deserving first death. The first person who dies usually is quite mean or obnoxious towards the two nicer antagonists, and the audience therefore feels a little glad that they died. Other cliché's include the fact that if it is a teen horror movie, two of the teens will find the time to "start a beautiful friendship". Then a monster/killer/crazy scientist then comes along and ruins a wonderful moment.

Romance Clichés

Romantic films have many clichés. Such clichés include the typical, unlucky in love woman character. Her quest for love is the perfect setting idea for a movie for a romances target audience, usually women. The mellow music that plays throughout the movies often reflects the future of the main character. The upbeat melody could also reflect the possible comedic misadventures that the characters could get up to.  A common theme in romance is that of the love rivalry between mr right and mr wrong. This is typically cliché. There are exeptions to this theme, such as Notting Hill. There is also a supporting cliché cast. These usually consist of the faithful sidekick, the loud-mouthed friend and the camp, world weary friend.

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Opening

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxN2Mewamj0&feature=related

The Lord of the Rings franchise is the third highest grossing film series in the world. It also has a large income due to the various companies who chose to create action figures and other forms of merchandise. The opening for this particular film starts with the origins of Gollum/ Smeagle. They are found to be fishing on an idilic countryside river. This could represent the two's blossoming frienship. After Deagle falls off the boat he finds a ring. This is the ONE Ring. The murky water represents the upcoming corruption which is about to consume the two friends. The whole of the film is really about the final journey of Gollum and this beginning bit is really summarising how Smeagle became Gollum.