Questionnaire results

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Questionnaire

This is our questionnaire that we used to help us with research and planning for our film. It will help us in choosing how to produce it as to comply with what our target audience enjoys watching. We decided to use closed questions as to be able to produce quantitative data and not a range of answers. By asking for 5 girls and 5 boys to fill it out we have a wider understanding of what to base our film on.

Film Camera research

As we want our opening two minutes to have the 'Home movie' look to it, iv'de decided that maybe using the highest quality video camera isn't the best option, as in my eyes the final clips will look too crisp and perfect, for example we want our film to look a bit like the way 'The Blair Witch Project' was filmed, After doing some research i believe the camera used was an CP-16 film camera, unfortunately we don't have this camera available, or one like it but were considering using an old handheld film camera instead of a new, high resolution digital camera. We later came to the conclusion that only some of our opening should be filmed on a old school, handheld camera, and the rest should be filmed using more recent, high definition equipment.

CP-16 Film Camera: They were primarily intended for television news filming and were quite popular with local and national news agencies before the advent of portable videotape Electronic News Gathering, (ENG) formats, as well as documentary and drama production.
This was the camera they filmed most of 'The Blair Witch Project' on, so i thought i would be a good idea to include this as a comparison to todays, newer cameras.
Footage:









GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition: GoPro is a brand of high-definition personal cameras, often used in extreme action video photography. They are known for being lightweight, rugged, wearable or mountable in unusual places such as outside planes, cars, or boats.
This high definition camera could be used to film shots where the camera had to be in awkward, less acessable angles, such as mounted for a first person view.
Footage:







Canon EOS 600D: With class-leading 18-megapixel resolution, user-friendly design, and the entire EOS family of lenses and accessories at your disposal, the EOS 600D lets nothing stand in the way of your photography.
This is another high definition camera which we could use to film any normal shots, using normal angles as opposed to unusual ones.
Footage:

Targets:

180 degree rule – comment on whether you are going to use this form of editing in your opening two minutes.

Camera Movement and Equipment – comment on the shots and editing used in the trailer.  Comment on whether you are going to use any of these shots to follow the conventions of an action film. You could state that you are going to experiment with different camera movements to identify which ones work best and why.

Types of film cuts – explain what editing and film cuts are used in the clip and how effective they are.  Have they influenced your planning, will you use these in your opening two minutes? (Explain why or why not.)

Target Audience Research and Questionnaire results: explain how the research and findings have influenced your planning.  Have the results enabled you to come to certain decisions about your film – will you now use/include certain things based on your results.

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Overview of Horror movies

Horror is a film genre seeking to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's primal fears. Horror films often feature scenes that startle the viewer; the macabre and the supernatural are frequent themes. Thus they may overlap with the fantasy, supernatural, and thriller genres. Horror films often deal with the viewer's nightmares, hidden fears, revulsions and terror of the unknown. Plots within the horror genre often involve the intrusion of an evil force, event, or personage, commonly of supernatural origin, into the everyday world. Prevalent elements include Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, demons, vicious animals, monsters, zombies, cannibals, and serial killers. Conversely, movies about the supernatural are not necessarily always horrific.

Women have become not only the main audience and fans of horror films but also the main protagonists of contemporary horror films. The horror industry is producing more and more movies with the main protagonist being a female and having to evolve into a stronger person in order to overcome some obstacle. This main theme has drawn a larger audience of women movie-goers to the theaters in modern times than ever historically recorded. Movie makers also go as far as to integrate women relatable topics such as pregnancy, motherhood, lesbian relationships, and babysitting jobs into their films in order to gain even more female oriented audiences.

Opening scenes analysis

The opening titles of a film tell the audience the title of the film and is traditionally shown at the beginning. Normally the genre of the film will determine what colour scene/fonts are used, for example horror movies tend to have black backgrounds, and red fonts, as these colours link to horrors. The Fonts also tend to be quite sinister and dark, reflecting how the film will be.

The Bourne Legacy is an action packed spy film.

The titles of this film are in plain white block text, with each word being in a different level of boldness which makes it stand out more and gives it a sense of being more sophisticated. It is quite conventional of an action film to have plain white text. The black background of the title makes it stand out more. My group are doing an action film quite similar to The Bourne Legacy and we are probably going to use the same type of font as we want our film to seem as professional as possible.

The A-Team is a very well-known action film.

This title is from the most recent A-Team film

made in 2010, which is a remake starring Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson and Sharlto Copley. They have used a silver colour with the font to make it look like it is metallic which connotes guns and bullets.
The bullet holes in the writing suggests to

the audience that that this film will have guns

and violence in it which is typical of an action film.

They have also chosen to use bold military

style font making it look tough and professional.

The black background makes the title stand out

and be more in your face preparing the audience

for what might come in the rest of the film.

The opening title of the Harry Potter film series look

like they are written in an old-style font, something

which looks like it would be in an old hand-written book which reflects the theme of the film

which is magic and mystery. The font is a dark, old looking silver and the background is dark clouds, much like you would see when it's raining which will make the audience think that there is going to be a lot more serious and evil parts to this film compared to the traditional Harry Potter title which is gold. The P in the title is shaped the same as the scar on Harry's forehead which is a major plot element in the film, linking the title with the film.
The detailed and the detailed and unique title
makes it very recognizable which makes for
a great marketing tool which helps promote and
sell the film.

The film Insidious is a horror film. They used red writing in their titles as it connotes blood and evil, however some romance films do choose to use red in their titles too, but the way in which the audience is able to distinguish between the two is the font and the background. The font used in this makes it look like there are devil horns suggesting that the film will have evil and religious aspects in it. Another thing done that adds a lot of effect is the shadows on the writing from what looks to be a fire which makes it look mysterious and evil. All these aspects of the title suggest to the audience that film will be a horror.

The Blair Witch Project in my opinion, is one of the best horror movies ever created, as its simplicity is what makes it so terrifying. The films opening scene is white writing on a black background, in a way this fits in perfectly with the film as it shows how amateur the filming and editing is going to be, it also gives us the impression that the film will be recored like a home movie. As a black and white font one of the most basic editing techniques, which most people can do, proving how amature the film is.
 
Rec is another horror film i have chosen to analyse, as most of the film is filmed how we would like to in our opening two minutes the self-filmed amateur editing kind of look. The opening scene shows the red dot, showing the camera is recording, of which we are going to try and incorporate into our film. With a white font splattered with blood suggesting that the film may contain some dark scenes within the movie. The way the title is laid out suggests to the viewer that the upcoming film will be hand held, almost relating to a home movie.

Conventions of Action films (Mindmap)

The 180 rule, shot sequances and light techniques

The 180 rule is a rule filmmakers mostly abide by in order to avoid disorientating and confusing the audience. It states that the camera cannot cut to show the same person or object from the opposite side from which they were first shown, as this messes up the direction of action and can confuse the viewer. The imaginary line of action is between a character and whatever object or person they are interacting with. Crossing this line through a straight cut can be confusing for the viewer. However, the 180 rule can be broken without confusing the viewer if the camera pans from one side of the line of action to the other in the same shot, as viewers know where they are. This is explained in more depth in the above tutorial video. In our opening two minutes we are going to stick to this rule as it allows the audiance to follow the characters easier, because if you film from more than one side the audiance can becomre confused and disorentated.

Camera movement and equipment

This video explains and shows some ways in which the camera moves - and why - and what equipment is needed to make it do this effectively. Due to our low budget on the film it is unlikely that we will be able to make/buy/use some of the equipment mentioned but we could try to recreate the action in order to cause a similar effect on the audience. In our opening two minutes we are going to experiment with a variety of different shots, all fitting in with those used in many horrors. Shots will vary from Long shots, Close ups, Extreme close ups and POV shots. By using a variety of shot types we hope to create the feeling that the audiance is actually in the forrest with our characters. We are then going to use a range of different camera movements to see which ones suit that shot best, whether thats tracking, panning or still shots, as each will create a different effect.

Camera angles and Shots

This video i found explains and gives good examples of different camera angles and shots that are used in films. We have decided we will deffinitely be using a handheld shot for our film as it prevents the audience feeling secure and this good for either an action or horror film. Although because of our budget it wont be possible to use any aeiral shots or arc shots.

Types of Film Cuts

This is a clip we found on youtube that includes a lot of different film cuts and edits that may be useful to include in our film. It gives the name of the cut followed by a brief description of what and how the cut or edit works. There are examples from many well known films to show how you could use it. After seeing this clip, we believe we will be using several techniques from it, including after action, exit shot and look off.

Conventions in Horror films (Mindmap)

These are the six biggest film institutions. Film institutions are very important as they provide the money, allowing the film to happen, without them no company would have anywhere near enough money to create a decent, successful film. The companies also own studios allowing the film to be filmed inside when needed. The only downside to film institutions funding a film is that they like to have complete control over what happens on the project, meaning it won’t always end up how you originally planned it too, However without these institutions films wouldn’t be the same.

Warner Bros studios were founded in 1903. It was formed by four brothers called the Warner brothers, and was one of the first companies to make movies with dialogue in it. They also famously started the original 'Looney Tunes', as well as many more successful cartoons. Warner Bros have a very wide range of films. They tend to make high budget movies, to make a lot of money, and their films are shown around the world. Their films appeal to a very wide range of audience as they make films from many different genres. Previous Warner Bros films include: 'Harry Potter', 'The Departed', 'The Dark Knight', 'Slumdog Millionaire', 'P.S. I Love You', 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', 'Troy', 'Blade Runner'.

Paramount Studios was founded in 1916 and is one of the oldest film institutions. Steven Spielberg is a major partner with Paramount as he is one of the leading film directors in Hollywood and this is a major contributor to Paramount’s success as he has many fans and followers who will watch anything he puts out, making most of his films instant money makers. Paramount are ranked as one of the highest-grossing film studios in the world. As with Warner Bros, they make a very wide range of films which targets many different audiences with each film.

Paramount films include: 'Titanic', 'Transformers' 'Indiana Jones', 'Iron Man', 'Forrest Gump', 'War of the Worlds', 'Mission Impossible', 'Shutter Island', 'Paranormal Activity'.

Sony Pictures is another of the film studios in 'the big six'. Although you wouldn't think that Sony would be in the big six it does own Columbia Pictures, which is a much better known company. Another slightly less well known, but still widely appreciated company that they own is Tristar Pictures. As Sony is primarily associated with gaming and electronics their film side isn't as well known. Most of their money comes from the fact that they are already such a big company so people have heard of them so will trust in them. They also do a lot of advertising for their films through their other products (such as the PS3 gaming console). Sony Pictures films include: 'Spiderman', 'Men in Black', 'Gladiator', 'The Da Vinci Code', 'Quantum of Solace', 'Hancock', 'The Pursuit of Happiness', 'The Adventures of Tintin, 'The Social Network', 'Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star'.

Universal pictures is another major film institution.
They have large theme parks around America which help promote their business, helping them make more money. Universal, like many over film institutions, make a large range of film genres to target a large market of people. They are another company that go hand in hand with Warner Bros and Paramount as they are all in it more for the money than for the art form of making films itself. However they don't disappoint bringing out big budget films that have been highly successful and have made many films that are seen to be classics for example 'E.T' and 'Jaws'.Universal films include: 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy', 'E.T', 'Bourne Identity', 'Despicable Me', 'Back to the Future', 'A Beautiful Mind', 'American Graffiti', 'Love Actually', 'Bruce Almighty', 'Jaws', 'American Gangster', 'Mamma Mia!', 'Jurassic Park', 'King Kong', 'Meet the Fockers', 'The Mummy'.

Walt Disney Pictures is probably the most famous film institution, mainly because most people grow up watching most of their films and TV shows. Disney are famous for their traditional family movies and cartoons but recently have made more action films for example 'Tron' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean' to reach out to a larger target audience by doing something a bit more appealing to teens and adults. They also own a large number of institutions: Touchstone Pictures, Pixar, Marvel, and most recently Lucasfilm. Pixar are seen as one of the best film institutions in the world, as they consistently make excellent films. Their films are enjoyable for both children and their parents, making them a real money maker. Pixar and Marvel both stray from producing a large number of films, opting instead for taking their time with each one and increasing the quality of the films. The quality of the films aren't as high as Marvel , but are more 'fun'. This is what makes for millions of fans as everyone is on edge waiting for them to bring out the next film. Through these companies Disney manages to get a huge amount of money, and it is a big factor in their recent success.
Disney films include: 'The Lion King', 'Toy Story 3', 'The Avengers', 'Pirates of the Carribean', 'Beauty and the Beast', 'High School Musical', 'Tangled', 'Thor', 'Finding Nemo', 'Hannah Montana', 'Bambi', 'The Princess and the Frog', 'Alladin', 'A Bug's Life' .

Finally 20th Century Fox is another very large film institution well known across the world. 20th Century Fox was one of the film institutions that started a little later compared to the other big companies. This institution is owned by a news corporation which also own the Fox television channel which helps in making them a lot of money. The TV channel has pumped out many shows that the world has loved for many years. They sometimes even make films from the TV shows they play on their channel for example 'The Simpsons Movie'. 20th Century Fox tend to make very high budget films and like many other institutions, make films for a wide range of genres. Many people criticize them and say that the company is nothing more then a logo where as other institutions have more to show for, like Universal with a theme park and Sony with its electronics. However 20th Century Fox are still a widely well known institution.
Famous 20th Century Fox films include: 'Avatar', 'Star Wars', 'Independence Day', 'Home Alone', 'X-Men', 'The Simpsons Movie', 'Ice Age', 'I, Robot', 'Marley and Me', 'Taken', 'Minority Report', 'Prometheus', 'Die Hard', 'Speed', 'Alien', 'Eragon', 'True Lies', 'Titanic', 'Moulin Rouge!', 'Road to Perdition', 'Night at the Museum', 'Austrailia'.

It seems that many of the large film institutions that started right at the beginning of film making are the most successful production companies in recent times. This makes sense as they have had the most time to evolve and grow to what they are now, as practise makes perfect.