Evaluation

Self Predicted Grade: 40/60 Marks
After reading through the mark scheme and re-watching our film, between the group, we decided that our physical coursework project should be given a mark of 40 out of 60. I think this is because our film meets all of the criteria in the level 3 boundary but, we believe, it does not have the capacity to fit into the level 4 boundary.

Project Evaluation

“If You Go Down To The Woods Today…” is based upon four AS-Level students who are attempting to create a horror film for their media coursework in a local forest. The first scenes work well for the students but after a numerous amount of strange noises and disturbances they realise they are not the only people in this forest. As they try to venture around the forest to find what is making these freak noises they soon see that this creature is not a force to be reckoned with.

The link below shows our media presentation that talks about and shows many features that we propose to include in our horror film. The pitch includes an initial idea for our film, similar products where we hope to incorporate some of their key features and the pitch also includes our storyboard.

http://samroyston.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/media-presentation.pptx

The second slide of our presentation provides a synopsis for our film and gives the viewer the basic story-line. In our group after many discussions we decided to base our film around four A-level students who are attempting to film their own mini horror film for their coursework. But, whilst filming, their thoughts turn into reality and they become part of the film they were attempting to create.

Our film was based around the “found footage” aspect so the main basis of our film was not scripted. Although, we did script the start of our film to ensure our audience grasped what we were attempting to film. We thought that if we scripted the “found footage” aspect of our film it would sound as if the series of events were planned where as we were trying to get over the effect that we genuinely didn’t realise what danger we were in. The storyboard was planned more effectively as we knew what we wanted to happen during our film so this could be created to our exact need. But, we couldn’t plan all of our storyboard as we wanted our “found footage” to be original and unexpected. If we planned this, as said for the script, it would seem as if we wasn’t genuinely terrified. Our storyboard included relatively detailed images that gave an idea of what we wanted to get across in our film. It also included camera shots and angles that we hoped to use during our film. As were trying to incorporate the “found footage” aspect into our film we needed to ensure that the viewer knew which parts were “found footage” and which parts were the students intending to film their A level project. To do this, we decided to place different filters where the filming sequences changed.

This Evaluation includes details on;

• How we filmed and edited our film idea
• What codes and conventions we included in our horror film and where we got theses ideas from
• How our project enticed our target audience
• What kind of media institutions would mass produce our film

Below is our horror film, “If You Go Down To The Woods Today..”.

Research and Planning

Each genre has its own codes and conventions that could be identified to determine which genre it would be placed in. Before we produced our film we researched British Horror which helped us with the production of our film. On my blog, you will see this post where we talk about the codes and conventions used in horror and films that contain the codes and convention. Our film was set in a forest so it contained a horror code and convention straight away and this also had the advantage of a desolate setting. We need not want to use features such as blood and visible attacks as we did not want to ruin the film. If the death or attack looked fake or over the top then this would ruin the effect we wanted the film to have. The main convention that works well is the contrast from start to end. As you can see from the film above, events start well for the A-Level students but by the end of the opening sequences, three students are dead, one student is mentally disturbed, there is a mystery attacker on the loose and nobody knows what truly happened on that day in the forest. Overall, I believe the codes and conventions we have included in our film are used effectively and make people grasp the fact that this is a horror film.

We have done a lot of research on film institutions during this media course so far and we believe that our film would be aimed at a small independent film institution. This could be institutions such as Warp Films and Film Four that have produced other successful independent films such as This is England that made it big in 2006. This film started off with a small budget of just £1,500,000 which is microscopic compared to the budget of films such as Avatar which has been reported to have had a budget in the regions of the £500,000,000. There is proof that small independent films can be successful as This is England made a Gross Revenue of £7,000,000 and it also had its fair share of awards. The film was ranked fourteenth in The Guardian’s list of 2007′s Best Films and fifteenth in Empire’s Movies of the Year. The film won the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film at the 2007 British Academy Film Awards and it also won the Best Film category at the 2006 British Independent Film Awards, Thomas Turgoose winning the Most Promising Newcomer award. It would also be accepted by a small independent film institution because it would pass the British Culture Test. This is a variety of tests/selection processes that determine whether a film can be classed as British or not. This ranges from things such as the nationality of the main characters from where the film was set and produced.

One of the main codes and conventions that are present in horror films is the dark. Darkness is used effectively in many types of horror films. The reason darkness works so well is because it creates suspense, tension and the fact of the unknown. Darkness is an element that is seen as a disadvantage to a human. If you can’t see as best as possible (daylight), then how are you supposed to know what is accompanying you? Darkness is used in a variety of films such as The Descent, The Hole, The Grudge and I am Legend. For this reason we wanted to incorporate this into our film as it would add to the horror effect we were trying to create.

Forests or woods are a great code that illiterate the sense of danger and isolation. It’s the fact that if something goes wrong, you are alone, and you are not close to any human contact that gives the woods a scary feeling. Also, people do not know what is in the forest as they do when in the city so this reinforces the fact of the unknown when in a forest or woods. Many horror films use the forest as it possesses a great amount of hiding places and camouflage to enforce the fact that someone is watching or following you. This was great for our film as we wanted our characters to feel scared, alone and out of place and this setting gave us the perfect chance to put our ideas into action.

Screaming is also a code and convention that is associated with the production of horror films. Anyone screaming, whether it is a man, woman or child tells the audience that something has frightened them or something has gone terribly wrong. But, most films use a young woman or girl to portray the screaming code. A woman screaming gives the stereotypical view of a woman helpless and scared which the director wants the audience to feel also. Countless number of films use this convention such as The Descent and The Strangers. Unfortunately, we did not have any girls to use as characters so we could not use a screaming girl convention. Although, we did use this convention but used Tom and Sam as the people screaming and shouting. The gives the audience the feeling that if two males are scared and screaming then something disturbing must be happening.

Knocking at the door is a factor used to enforce the horror genre. Knocking at the door usually means that something bad is on the other side of the door. This is a great factor to use as you never know what is on the other side of the door so this gives a climax whether it is an anti climax or not but this rises the tension and insecurity of the audience.

Red writing is usually related to horror films as audiences associate the red writing with blood. Whether the credits are written in a red font or red writing is found in the film this gives the sense of peril or threat. The red writing is also related to curses. This is evident in the Grudge when they find red writing, which seems to be blood, on the wall with a message. If you have watched the film then the writing is the start of a cursed storyline.

Masks are habitually recurrent in a number of horror films. Masks administer the factor of an unseen attacker and automatically increase the sense of danger. Masks come in a variety of shapes and sizes such as balaclava’s, food sacks, china dolls, hockey masks and many more which tells the audience that the attacker does not want to give away his identity. This is also good for the film as it keeps the audience guessing at what or who is the attacker. In our film, we did not use the mask idea but still used the convention of an unseen attacker. We liked this idea because it kept the audience and guessing and didn’t give any of the story line away.

Further research and planning is shown on the next blog page and the end of this page.

The Preliminary Task seemed like a tiny task compared to our horror film. It was based mainly on the types of shots you used and camera techniques rather than the script and narrative of the short clip. In the horror project, the roles were revered, yes we needed good shots to make the film look good but they weren’t as important as getting the narrative over to the audience. Also, with the Preliminary Task, the editing was minimal and nothing needed to be added to the final task clip. Once again, this was different, as the horror project needed hours of editing along with added special effects, filters and text. I have learnt about the importance of making my film and narrative believable and interesting than just doing the basic requirements. During our horror project we did not use many of the techniques such as match on action and the 180 degree rule. This is mainly because our film did not involve many long sequences of speech and was mainly based upon handheld camerawork.

Screen Grab Evaluation

Screen Grab 1

This Screen Grab shows the Titles for the film. We chose the font of the title to suit the type of film we were going to create. This scary and eery looking font was relevant to the genre of film we were focusing on and created in iMovie. The colour for the font is white, we were going to edit the font and make it red, but we thought it didn’t look as good as white. I think that the audience would have grasped the fact it was a horror film by the type of font we used if they hadn’t already. We also include a common convention that is used in many horror films, forests. It is relevant to the film title and we thought it would be appropriate to include this when the film title appeared.

Screen Grab 2

In Screen Grab 2 we see the characters in their “pretend ruined camp” which is part of the plot for their media coursework. In this shot we see the main place that the students choose to set their film and it holds many codes and conventions for a horror film such as the dark compact forest and the ruined camp. This part of the camp is also visible when the students attempt to flee from the mystery creature. This is one of the first times we see the date and time in the bottom right hand corner and the recording symbol in the bottom left corner. We added these via an editing technique in iMovie.

Screen Grab 3

During this Screen Grab we see the more adventurous side to the characters as their filming session has been ruined by an unexpected visitor. This is related to the target audience for the film as we belive many teenagers are willing to try new things and the teenage age group being naive. They go to investigate what they believe is watching them and experience many codes and conventions such as being isolated, being watched and the fact that they are in a forest and can’t see everywhere clearly. We also see the one of the characters outfits from this shot. The general jeans, trainers and hoody is what is expected and enforced by the press of modern society. But these clothes also helped with the more athletic filming sequences.

Screen Grab 4

In this Screen Grab we used the code and convention of a person being left behind, trapped or in danger as one of the characters falls and is left behind. This creates the impression that all the characters are selfish as not one of them stops to help their “friend” who is in danger. The shaky camerawork and disorientation of the viewer evident in Cloverfield confronts the audience with a sense of panic and worry. There is also a bit of irony in this shot as Sam falls over a tripod which was supposed to help him in his coursework but instead, hinders him in his escape.

Screen Grab 5

Screen Grab 5 gives the sense of refuge and safety as the characters are hiding and the creature is nowhere to be seen. Once again, this includes codes and conventions such as a false sense of security, a mystery attacker and being lost in a terrifying situation. We also how the filters we included affect how the characters look during this shot. There was a variety of screen filters in iMovie that we could have edited into our final product but we thought this was the best one as it resembles the standard black and white camera and also includes slight hints of colour.

Screen Grab 6

Screen Grab 6 really brings out the personality of certain characters. The cameraman through the whole film, Brett, shows his survival instincts that are shown in many films such as The Descent and The Hole. The fact that he is running from a mystery attacker into areas he does not know also shows us that he is not thinking straight and is in a panic just to get out of the area. As much of our camerawork was handheld, for this shot, we needed a base for the camera to be placed on. This was done by placing Toms jumper on a small bush and it was my job to place the camera on the jumper as if i had dropped it. Fortunately, I did it first time and the camera dropped perfectly!

Screen Grab 7

This Screen Grab is interesting because it seems just like a static shot to many viewers but is relevant to the film. It gives the audience understanding of when the film changes from the “A Level Media Project” to the actual events that occur while filming. We realised that our film would be complicated and misleading to our audience if it carried on in one continuous sequence. Therefore, we needed to split up each sequence of filming. We experimented with fading to black but and fading back into filming but it didn’t work very well. We then had a brain wave and realised that this type of break up shot would be ideal as it relates to the idea of making a film.

Screen Grab 8

Screen Grab 8 shows the after events of what happened in the forest. We have one escapee as with the film, The Descent, who tries to unravel the events evident in the film. This shot uses the convention of a mad or mentally disturbed person which feature in many horror films. This tells the audience that what this person has seen, has scarred them mentally, and therefore creates tension and anxiety which are needed to create a good horror film. Our newest character, Mr. McCarthy, was dressed perfectly for this shot. His smart attire with his tie and watch gives the impression that this character is important. This also backed up by the fact that he is standing over Brett to show he has more power and a bigger influence.

Screen Grab 9

Screen Grab 9 is the final shot of our 2 minute film opening. This holds many codes and conventions such as the “forest”, evident with the shrubbery across the creatures face. We also see the mystery attacker for the first time and we only get to see its eyes. There is also the fact that it has white eyes which is not common amongst the human race and gives this creature the mystery factor. This shot was used by placing Jack in a huge conifer bush where we could certain branches across his face and ensure the setting would be dark behind him as if he were still in the forest.

Compare and Contrast

In this part of my evaluation, I am going to compare one of the characters from my film to a character in a worldwide blockbuster. The two images above show Brett from my film and Daxos, an Arcadian soldier from the film, 300. Although, these seem completely different, they do have many similarities. In the film, we see Brett as an arrogant, cocky individual who seems to find time for a laugh in whatever situation. When the students are looking for they mystery creature, Brett is thirsty to find this creature and makes wise cracks all the time. Daxos relates to Brett as the first time we meet him, he makes jokes about how the Spartans have only bought 300 soldiers when on the warpath. Later on in the film we see Brett fleeing from the danger and looking out for himself. Fortunately for him, he makes it away from the creature. This has its similarities to Daxos as when Daxos is faced with the choice of fighting with the Spartans to an almost certain death, he flees from the battle and is not seen again. This shows his cowardice and fear. We later see Brett talking to his teacher in a mentally disturbed state. This shows the extremities that a fearful situation can have on the younger mind.

Target Audience

The Target Audience for my film is teenagers of all ages and older. This, I think, is because the film would interest this age range as it has characters of the same age group that the audience can relate to. This is also because, from previous research, I found out that teenagers watch the most horror films. The audience member that I have chosen can be briefly described and stereotyped. As with most teenagers, this audience member,  shops at high street shops such as Topman, River Island and other popular mainstream shops. The television channels that attract this audience are dramas and comedies such as Shameless, Family Guy, Hollyoaks, Skins and The Cleveland Show which would be the main television programs watched by this age group.

Location

To the left is an aerial image of the forest area where we chose to set our film. This area was perfect as it was close to the area we live in, it was a relatively dark and gloomy forest and had all the aspects for a setting we needed. The forest is a common convention for the horror genre also so it was relevant to our film. Although we had to move around the forest for different parts of our film no setting was further than 5 minutes away from the other so it was convenient for us to film.

Equipment

Below I have listed all of the equipment that we have used in order of importance during the process of making our film.. These range from actual filming equipment to the use of the internet and editing programmes.

Our camera was the most important piece of equipment we needed to make our film. Without this, the film would not have happened. The fact that our camera was a High Definition (HD) Camera also made a lot of difference with our final product. It enhanced the overall spectrum of the film by sharpening images and defining objects and colours much better than a normal camera.

The Apple iMacs we also had available to use were also of great importance. This was like our base for the film. It is where all of our work was saved and edited so without this, the film wouldn’t have been as good as our final product.

iMovie is also an important piece of equipment we used. This programme on the Apple iMacs was our editing equipment. The programme had a variety of special effects, filters and editing techniques that we could use to our advantage to improve the overall perception and final product.

You Tube, the biggest broadcasting internet channel in the world, was used to release our film and for our audience to see the film for the first time. It was easily accessible from anywhere with an internet connection so our target audience, with efficient marketing, could watch our film and give us feedback on our project.

The tripod is an important piece of equipment normally when filming as we found out when we did our Preliminary Task. But our plot mainly focused on the hand held recording technique. This meant the tripod was used for one or two shots and was not of great importance.

Interviews

Below are two interviews that we have created after our film was produced. It shows Sam and Tom, two of our group, talking about a variety of issues that deal with our horror project. There is a second interview with a fellow student who has agreed to be filmed giving his feedback after watching the film.

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