Question 7: Looking back at your preliminary task , what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

Lighting

When you are making a film, you have to take every scene into account. One of the more important things we had to consider is the whether or not the Lighting was right to fit the atmosphere.
We wanted to a make a sense of isolation and paranoia when the protagonist is walking through the woods and when he is walking home listing to his iPod. The lighting had to be perfect in order to create this atmosphere as well was making it look like it was set in one night. Also the lighting was
Unfortunately, due to the limiting time of filming in the perfect light it was hard to have continuity of the lighting so there are some parts that will be brighter, later on when in reality it should be getting darker. We thought we could fix this by editing the lighting on Sony Vegas but we learnt when we did this, the lighting looked too unnatural and ruined the atmosphere all together.



Sound

Sound is another key point to consider when making a film is the music, whether it will be diegetically or non- diegetically.
We added a soundtrack that emphasises the feelings of the protagonist as well what we wanted the audience to feel. The Diegetic sounds was included to keep the verisimilitude of the scene, and to add tension with sounds such as the twig snapping, the protagonist’s heart beat and laboured breathing.




Emotional Journey
As our opening mainly focuses on the main protagonist Michael Thomas, We need the audience to emphasis with him. We did this by using close up Reaction shots throughout, showing his emotions to the audience at the moments of the scene we also made it so the audience knows as much as the character which increase the tension.

Question 5: How did you attract/address your audience?

We set up a questionnaire that told us about people’s thoughts about horror films as well as films in general and we found out that 16 – 18 year olds don’t usually watch horror films on their own but will watch them in groups of friends which makes them good as a target audience as the main characters in the film are a group of teenagers which will make the audience empathise with them better. The group of friends in the film will be characters that the audience will be able to relate to; either because they are friends with someone like them or just that they know someone like them. This will make the danger feel even more real as the threat is against people of that age, making it practically aimed towards the audience, thus making it a good horror film for them.

Question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I created this template to name all the technologies, what did we use it for, what were the pros and cons of it and what did we learn about it.

Question 4 Who would be the audience for your media product?

I have made a example of my target audience as of one person called Jak.

Filming and Editting Progress 29th March COMPLETED!

We have completed all Filming and Editting of our opening scene. Since the opening is longer then we thought it would be, we have also made a shorter version of it.

Question 3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Film distribution is when a film is released into the cinemas and/or onto DVD by a distribution company In Hollywood, every aspect of the film is made and distributed under one company e.g. Universal and Warner Bros.

British Films are the complete opposite, every process of making a film is done by different smaller companies and since our film is British and a small production, we can’t use a big Hollywood distributor. So instead we are going to use smaller distribution companies



A company that really caught our eye is Warp Films, a small independent company which look for innovative, original and boundary-breaking talent and are responsible for the BAFTA Award winning This is England and Four Lions they are also one of the most respected independent film companies. Since the Repressed production is really small, we feel that Warp Films are a perfect distributor for it



And also since this is our first film, just like Paranormal Activity, we are going to put it on different websites such as YouTube, MySpace and Facebook to show the world our film and that will hopefully get a lot attention.

Question 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our film mainly represents the Male Teenager demographic in variety of different ways which all rule down to them all having fun. All four of our main characters have unique personalities from James who is the joker of the group to John who is afraid of getting into trouble. But when the characters get into trouble they can act seriously in a group which brings out there mature natures.

In comparison to the more mainstream film ‘I know what you did last summer’ the characters are very similar as they are a group of teenagers who love to have fun together but can act serious in the right situation.

Question 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (I.e. of film openings)

The main forms and conventions of horror movies are blood/gore, Death, Being scared, Tension, Zombies, Monsters, Killers, Vampires and Werewolves. To make a developed link to the Forms and conventions I watched a couple of real film openings and noted how they used the forms and conventions. The films we looked at were The Ring and Scream.
In the Ring opening scene, they built tension by following the character when she is wondering what caused the TV to turn on and the sounds upstairs. Because the camera is following her, so is the audience shares her emotions. We did the same thing in our scene, when the character is walking home when he hears a footstep sound behind him, a reaction shot is used to show the character’s reaction and to make the audience react the same way.
We also used an editing technique called quick cuts, it is not a usual technique for horror movies however in Edgar Wright’s zombie film, Shawn of the Dead, Quick cuts are used and for that reason we put them in since Zombie is a convention of Horror.

Filming and Editting Progress 24nd March

We had issues with the lighting with some shots as they were darker then we expected so that made the editting harder then it should of been. we have however done all we can to improve the shots and right now we are adding more scenes to the flashback and the end.

The Ring Opening Scene

The Ring Opening
The movie starts with a Teenage Girl pouring a drink and about to go upstairs, before she makes her way to the stairs, she hears the TV turning on randomly. She goes into to investigate and she thinks it is her friend messing with the remote but before she can finish her sentence, she fines the remote on the chair. In confusion she turns off the TV and starts making her way upstairs. The TV then turns on again. The girl stares at it with disbelief then suddenly run towards it and pulls out the plug. She then hears a sudden noise behind her she goes into the kitchen and finds out the fridge door is open, she runs to close it and then hears another sound coming form up stairs. She slowly goes upstairs and makes her way up to the hallway where she finds a door with its handle slowly dripping liquid. Grabbing the handle she swings to door open and stares at a TV with an image of an eerie well on it she screams and her face morphs into a disturbing shape.

How does the scene make the audience scared?

The camera follows the actions of the girl throughout the scene to make the audience feel what the character is feeling. She is wondering what is making them noises as is the viewer.
When she looks at the TV and screams the sudden camera zoom to show the horrific face is meant to startle the audience and breaks the tension that has been building since the start.

Repressed Poster

I have designed a Small Poster for our Film with the title, The main character in the opening scene with the Tag Line, "Some Memories are best left forgotten"



This will be used if we can advertise on Websites, Magazines and pehaps billboards

Progress of filming and editting as of 18 March

We spent a few days filming with only two more scenes to do after 18th March,
After we've done the filming, we will start the editting.

Music for the Opening

At first we wanted our friends band to play a couple of simple beats for the opening however we decided it would be easier to make some of our own on the computer
we used some software called Acid, a very easy to use program that lets you chose from a wide range of beats to create your own song.

Upcoming Shadows

This is the song that our protagonist (Michael Thomas) listens to in the opening scene.

Chase

This is the music that is used when Michael Thomas is being chased by an unknown figure.

A Brief of the Opening sequence in pictures

Walking home, listening to his iPod


Walks past memoral of his murdered friend


whilst walking in the woods he has a flashback
[IN THE FLASHBACK] Finds Dead body of his friend


continues to walk through the woods, counting to himself because he is paranoid.


Hears a footstep sound behind him


Starts to rush home


Gets home.


Sees a figure outside his window


figure enters the house and surraounds the teen.

Meeting times of Filming

Music used in the opening

For the opening scene, We decided to use a modern rock beat for the song that plays on the character Micheal's MP3 player when he is walking home. Before he walks into the woods, he takes out his earphones and the music will be more tinny to make the audience know that the music is on his MP3 It will also act like a theme for the movie and also relates to our chosen audience of the film. To create the beat, we have asked a friend to record a simple rock beat on his electric gutair.



The other music will be used In the scene where Micheal is running from the woods. We want to use a fast piano to bulid tension

Locations Shots

Fonts

For the opening credits of the film. we want a font that is bold enough to make the audence know its a horror film but not too dramatic.

we turned to a website called 1001fonts.com where we found a couple of fonts we all liked.












We felt that “You Murderer” font is far too dramatic for the scene. The opening scene is meant to bulid tenstion and this font juxtaposes this.

“Larkspur” and “Razor Keen” we feel might be good, so we will make a makeshift shot to put them onto and compare to see which will suit the feeling we want.

We agreed that “Psycho!” didn’t have the feel that we were going for in our opening however I really liked it as it is quite mystrious and.

Personally liked "Psycho" the most but all in all "Larkspur" was the favorite

Script

This is the script that we shall be following when we are filming the opening scene. this isn't a final version as things might change whilst filming as it might not work out the way we thought.
any changes made on the script will be noted in a later post

SCRIPT
[Established Phil walking up to the memorial and walking off again, he continues to walk and after taking out the other headphone, he begins to count.]


Phil: …one…


[He takes a footstep.]


Phil: …two…


[Flashback then occurs, focusing on four friends. One of them is going to separate from the group.]


Phil: …but yeah that horror movie last night *laughs* I swear I’ve never been so scared in my life.
Cameron: Same *laughs*
Scott: I’m off for a bit; be right back.
Joe: Alright then.


[Establish back into the present.]


Phil …three; four…


[The rest of the group members are stood up looking around for Scott who’s disappeared.]


Joe: Scott, you back yet?
Cameron: Over here, quick!
*Everyone runs up*
Phil: Ohh…
Joe: My god?


Phil: Five; six, seven, eight, nine, Te- *Crunch*


[Phil runs home and discovers that the “killer” is onto him, the killer walks into his house, slams the door, creaks up the stairs slowly, Phil is petrified.]


Phil: *pant, pant* Go away! *pant pant* Leave me alone… *panting stops as everything is silent*


[The killer storms in.]


*Screen swipes to black*

Audience Emotions Imageboard

In this Imageboard, we have the three main scenes from the opening scene (Streets, Woods, Home) and in each one we have images that represent what we want the audience to feel.

we want it so in each scene it increases tention and fear.

Main Characters in Repressed.

'John Macintosh'
Played by Matthew Kerry




Character Bio:
John is a 17 year old teenager. He is a nervous individual and always afraid that him and his friends will get in trouble. Despite all this he is a very clever and he enjoys a good laugh. His Ambitions are to be a detective for the police has he has a very strong hatred of crime and drugs as his family and himself have been affect by then.


'Michael Thomas'
Played By Philip Newsham




Character Bio:
Michael is a 17 year old teenager. Michael is very close to his friends and because of a recent spilt between his parents, he is more attached to them then ever. He is quite a sporty person and plays cricket for his school team and one day wants to become a professional cricket player. He also has a keen intrest in rock music and dislikes modern pop music.


'Daniel Biggs'
Played by Scott M. Davis



Character Bio:
Daniel was 16 years old and was the youngest memeber of the group of friends. Daniel was a very artist person, In his spare time he drew a lot and also played Video Games. He was also quite a layed back individual with only heavy rock and violence as his main dislike.


'James Murdoch'
Played By Joe Glover



Character Bio:
James is 18 years old and is the oldest in the group. He is the joker of the group and always trys to make his mates laugh with a story or a joke. He is very musical and plays the gutair very well and wants to start a band with his mates.