Thursday 31 October 2013

Recording diary

Recording Diary 1

Today was the first day of filming.
After meeting at 11 we went to the park to discuss what the plan was for the footage what we wanted to get, after looking through the props we had brought to use we realised that the SD Card that is used in the camera was missing. We then went into Leatherhead town to get another SD Card as a replacement. After inserting the new SD Card we went to the centre of town and got some scenery shots of the time before the apocalypse that we would use as flashback memory's for our main protagonist, Alex.
We tested out different shots that we would be able to use with the infected, using the camera as a first person view of either a human being chased by an infected, or as a zombie attacking a human. Featuring a knock over of the camera, this allows us to show the feet of a character without spoiling who they are to the audience.

Looking at costume, we got some of the items that we thought Alex could be wearing, We wanted to spray paint a florescent yellow hat black, When we began to spray the hat the paint turned out to be red. After debate, we realised that the way that the paint sprayed made the red paint look like blood, we decided to keep this as it gives the audience the impression that there has been a lot of death around Alex that he has directly influenced of witnessed.

Monday 28 October 2013

intial script ideas

Initial Script Ideas

When it comes to the script for our trailer, we are trying to rely less of dialogue from the character and more from the actual scenes in which we show.
We are still going to feature some dialogue from our characters, but the ones that we choose will be there to have a designed effect upon our audience.

We are working off the idea that our main character is alone in this world of constant danger, so there will be short moments where he is talking to himself and reminiscing on the past life that he use to have.
As well as this there will be short moments shown within this so the audience sees that he will meet other individuals, and also how they will effect him. There will be high tension as he has learnt not to trust the people of the modern world, as most of them have been corrupted by greed and power. They choose to use the threat of the outside world to their advantage, setting up bases and using their safety as bribes for weary travelers that they stumble across.
Alex has experienced these 'Bandits' before and not in a good way, after escaping from captivity the gang has set out a personal vendetta against him. Searching for him ready to kill on sight.


So we are choosing short lines that shows danger, desperation and longing:
"How did this happen?"
"You don't understand!"
"I'm warning you!"
"Drop it!"
"Why are you doing this?"
"Who are you?"
"I just want things to be 'normal' again."
"Leave!"
"I will shoot"

Friday 25 October 2013

Feedback

Well done on getting more audience profiling posts done and addressing my last targets. Your blog is looking very detailed in terms of research. You should now move on to focus on the planning aspect.

To complete over half term:
Location and actor photos/profiles, along with an explanation as to why they are appropriate for your chosen genre.
Questionnaire (and feedback) about your initial ideas.
Initial storyboard.

Monday 14 October 2013

Mood Board

 
1- This image shows a zombie. We have chosen this image because we are wanting to set our film in a post-apocalyptic world that have been over run with an outbreak or a virus, causing all infected to loose all memory, become cannibalistic and increasing the rate in which the body decays.
2- Here we see a gun. This was chosen as we want the audience to feel that the surviving humans have abandoned all hope in searching for a cure as the outbreak has accelerated at an incredible rate. The humans have realised it is either fight or die in this world that they once knew as home.
3- We have chosen Weybridge Gravel Pit as a location for our film. This is because the location has been abandoned and gives an eery atmosphere. Also from the look of the location it seems the prime place to set up a base for the surviving group to 'set up camp'. If not for this reason we found that this location would be great to set some infected up in the background show off that the infected have over run the world and can be found in nearly every location.
4- This image shows a character from the hit TV series The Walking Dead. We chose this kind of character as we feel that the film would need a range of ages throughout, one of which being the old man who blurts out wise and pointless speeches on how they survived the war and such nonsense as that. But also for the idea that he will bring that wise and kick-ass character into the group.
5- Here we see a lone man and a dog walking down an empty road. This image was chosen more for the shot that has been used, we want a shot that sets up the idea of isolation but also gives the character that idea of hope that they continue their journey because they hope that it will all fine in the end.
6- Ruben Fleischer, Director of Zombieland. I chose him because he came around a good way for showing some good zombie shots and the destruction that they have caused on the world. He can make the audience feel like the characters are completely isolated. This is a key feature that makes a post-apocalyptic film, the feeling of isolation. Although Zombieland is a comedy there were many scenes with zombies which felt like an action.

7- Woody Harrelson is an actor who played one of the lead characters within the film Zombieland, Tallahassee. The character that he brought into the film was the 'bad-ass', enjoying the fact he gets to kill zombies, character. This character would be able to bring a comedic side to a serious film and a prime character for the audience to 'relate to'.

8- This image shows a duster coat, commonly seen within western films. Used when riding horses to stop the dust damaging their clothes and guns. We chose this as a piece of costume as it allows the wearer to conceal on themselves. Also this allows for a recognizable piece of costume that will allow the audience to identify the character wearing it in any situation.

9- This image shows a black and white image of zombies occupying a field. We felt that this was a good clip to replicate, minus the black and white, because it shows the extent of the infection outbreak. Even places that you viewed as isolated have been over run.

10- This image shows a lone man, wearing a doctors uniform, walking through an empty street that has been abandoned from effects of the out-break. We chose this image as it is a shot that we would like to recreate. It gives the idea that even though the world has been plunged into this empty and dangerous world they still have to try and make life as normal as they can. Such as finding supplies and moving them around.

11- Here we see the sun setting, this was chosen to give the audience that no matter what time of day it is within this world there is always a strong feel of danger. This image was chosen to give a sense of time for the audience.

12- Finally we see a group of infected in a forest at the dead of night. This was chosen as a use of inspiration for possible scenes that we could try to create. The night shows once again that there is danger at all times, also playing off a fear of the dark. (The fear of dark is highly misconstrued, people don't have a fear of the dark. They have a fear of what is in the dark, more commonly referred to as 'fear of the unknown/unseen) We have taken this fear and are now giving them something to fear.

Wednesday 9 October 2013

Feedback

There is some detailed analysis here, with audience profiling considered as well as analysis of similar products. Planning should now be underway and you can begin to evidence this through storyboarding, photos of actors/characters etc, along with explanations as to how your choices are appropriate for your chosen genre.

Targets:
Finish your draft posts and upload them on to the blog - detailed analysis of trailers with focus on use of intertitles and conventions of trailers as well as shots you would like to replicate etc
Upload film pitch
Keep up to date with publishing posts