Here is my Evaluation on Prezi.
Thursday 24 March 2011
My finished film
Here it is my film finished and uploaded to Vimeo.
Confliction from Martin Campbell on Vimeo.
While it is finished there are a few things I wasn't to happy in how they turned out and given the chance would have liked to redo them but there are still a lot of parts of the film I am proud of given the resources I had.
Confliction from Martin Campbell on Vimeo.
While it is finished there are a few things I wasn't to happy in how they turned out and given the chance would have liked to redo them but there are still a lot of parts of the film I am proud of given the resources I had.
My Animatic
To get a rough idea of what my film may look like when put together I created an animatic of it. This not only works as a way of seeing how the scenes link together but can also give a good sense of timings and syncronicity with sound.
For my animatic I used a lot of pictures that where taken on set this meant I could quickly create a timeline to give me a rough idea of how the product would look when edited together correctly.
As it turns out my camera also becomes nearly useless the moment there isn't a ton of natural sunlight. So sorry in advance for the quality of some of the pictures.
Confliction animatic from Martin Campbell on Vimeo.
For my animatic I used a lot of pictures that where taken on set this meant I could quickly create a timeline to give me a rough idea of how the product would look when edited together correctly.
As it turns out my camera also becomes nearly useless the moment there isn't a ton of natural sunlight. So sorry in advance for the quality of some of the pictures.
Confliction animatic from Martin Campbell on Vimeo.
Monday 21 March 2011
Poster final version
Here is my completed poster with a few extra things added after some feedback such as a film release date and age certification :
Overall feedback on the poster and the picture has been very positive with people commenting on effective use of lighting and editing.
Overall feedback on the poster and the picture has been very positive with people commenting on effective use of lighting and editing.
The Magazine review
For my magazine review I tried to keep to a similar format to the ones used in the magazine Total Film. This is where I would aim to have the film reviewed if it was actually released. I came to this decision after a fair amount of research in to film magazines and if they would actually have a section that could review my film. Here is a link to the research from a previous post in my blog : Film Magazines
Here is my film review :
Here is my film review :
Sunday 20 March 2011
My film poster
I've just finished the first draft of my poster on Adobe Photoshop :
To begin the poster design I first needed to get a relevant picture. Since the film is centered entirely around the main character I thought a portrait shot of the actor would be most appropriate. Here was the original picture I took :
I am now looking for feedback on the poster and will hopefully be making some slight changes to it if necessery.
One of the main things I wanted to get across in the poster was the idea of a war with yourself that can be created from mental illness where you aren't sure what to believe. I have tried to achieve this by making half of the poster quite dark and sketched while having the other half very bright.
To begin the poster design I first needed to get a relevant picture. Since the film is centered entirely around the main character I thought a portrait shot of the actor would be most appropriate. Here was the original picture I took :
Here is the current film poster after editing :
I am now looking for feedback on the poster and will hopefully be making some slight changes to it if necessery.
One of the main things I wanted to get across in the poster was the idea of a war with yourself that can be created from mental illness where you aren't sure what to believe. I have tried to achieve this by making half of the poster quite dark and sketched while having the other half very bright.
Wednesday 16 March 2011
Actors
The actors can be one of the most important parts of a film. They allow the audience to form emotional connections and often place themselves in the characters shoes if they perform well. Actors are the main key to making a film believable and if they are not able to very accurately portray a scene then it can completely ruin realism and the audiences emotional connection to the character.
For my film I will be using two actors. Both of them have a past experience with drama from high school and sixth form and have performed in plays before. This will hopefully allow them to effectively set the scene and give the audience some depth to the characters.
Another thing that is key when getting an actor is having someone that would be believable as the character in the story. For example you would not want a 60 year old man playing the role of a high school student.
With this I have been lucky to an extent as my main character does resemble the actor to an extent and also the age range is perfect when it actually comes to who is likely to get the mental illness the character develops.
For my film I will be using two actors. Both of them have a past experience with drama from high school and sixth form and have performed in plays before. This will hopefully allow them to effectively set the scene and give the audience some depth to the characters.
Another thing that is key when getting an actor is having someone that would be believable as the character in the story. For example you would not want a 60 year old man playing the role of a high school student.
With this I have been lucky to an extent as my main character does resemble the actor to an extent and also the age range is perfect when it actually comes to who is likely to get the mental illness the character develops.
The plot
I recently done some filming tests with my camera to see what my story would look like and how I could do it. When doing these tests there where a lot of problems that kept coming up. The main one was lighting, the original story was mainly during night and my camera does not agree with filming in the dark. There where also issues with sound recording in an open area from a moderate distance and some props.
After these problems I had another look at the script and since then decided to change the story almost completely.
My current plot is now planned to be a horror that focuses on mental illness, or more specifically Psychosis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosis
I think this allows me to effectively create a atmosphere and it also allows a certain amount of character development that is not often seen in a short film.
After these problems I had another look at the script and since then decided to change the story almost completely.
My current plot is now planned to be a horror that focuses on mental illness, or more specifically Psychosis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosis
I think this allows me to effectively create a atmosphere and it also allows a certain amount of character development that is not often seen in a short film.
Thursday 17 February 2011
Film influences
While getting ideas for the story of my film I have looked at some other films to get inspiration and ideas.
One of these films was the Blair Witch Project : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185937/
Here is a basic synopsis of the film from the Internet Movie Database :
"Three film students travel to Maryland to make a student film about a local urban legend... The Blair Witch. The three went into the woods on a two day hike to find the Blair Witch, and never came back. One year later, the students film and video was found in the woods. The footage was compiled and made into a movie. The Blair Witch Project."
The Blair Witch Project was made with a ridiculously small budget and with minimal advertising. Despite this it turned out to be a huge success and is a great inspiration for ideas and creating an atmosphere when making a horror film.
Halloween was another great horror film I looked to for some ideas and inspiration : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077651/
"The year is 1963, the night; Halloween. Police are called to 43 Lampkin Ln. only to discover that a 17 year Judith Myers had been stabbed to death, by her 6 year-old brother. After being institutionalized for 15 years, Myers breaks out just days before Halloween. No one knows nor would wish to find out what would happen on October 31st 1978, besides Myer's physciatrist Dr. Loomis. He knows Michael is coming back to Haddonfield, but by the time the town realizes it, it'll be to late for many people."
Like with the Blair Witch Project this film has a very tense atmosphere throughout. It also uses sound very effectively with very powerful, tense and frightening music at points in the film.
The Shining is another classic horror film I really enjoyed that involved some techniques I thought where effective : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/
"A man, his son and wife become the winter caretakers of an isolated hotel where Danny, the son, sees disturbing visions of the hotel's past using a telepathic gift known as "The Shining". The father, Jack Torrance, is underway in a writing project when he slowly slips into insanity as a result of cabin fever and former guests of the hotel's ghosts. After being convinced by a waiter's ghost to "correct" the family, Jack goes completely insane. The only thing that can save Danny and his mother is "The Shining"."
This film shows a lot of nice film techniques and character development which can be effective in a horror film. It also has a few unique techniques with the sound and lighting and how they are used. One distinct thing I remember from the film and I assume most people do is that loud uncomfortable screeching sound in it that plays quite a lot. The film also has signifiers to heart beat sounds and other things through out. The film is able to portray the fathers slip in to insanity very well and gives a strong feeling of isolation.
Scream is another film that focuses on the horror genre but this time it acts as a parody often mocking a lot of its predecessors and making the film more of a comedy than a horror. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117571/
"One year after the death of Sidney's mother, two students turn up gutted. When a serial killer appears, Sidney begins to suspect whether her mother's death and the two new deaths are related. No one is safe, as the killer begins to pick everyone off one by one. Everyone's a suspect in this case."
With my film I have been looking at making it in to a parody as it can be difficult to make a serious horror when you have a budget of basically £0. This means Scream will be a huge influence in how I approach it as this was one of the first and most successful horror parodies.
Scary Movie just like Scream acts as a parody of most horror films mocking a lot of the things that consistently appear in a horror film and breaking conventions to become a comedy. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0175142/
"A group of teenagers including Cindy Campbell and Bobby Prinze, accidentally hit a man when driving, and dispose of the body, but now they are being stalked by a very recognisable masked killer. The victim count increases, whilst Cindy must survive the carnage that she has seen in so many films before."
This will probably act as another huge influence to my story just like Scream as a parody can often be filmed with a smaller budget effectively and it allows you more freedom as you can challenge conventions regularly and are often encouraged to do so.
One of these films was the Blair Witch Project : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185937/
Here is a basic synopsis of the film from the Internet Movie Database :
"Three film students travel to Maryland to make a student film about a local urban legend... The Blair Witch. The three went into the woods on a two day hike to find the Blair Witch, and never came back. One year later, the students film and video was found in the woods. The footage was compiled and made into a movie. The Blair Witch Project."
The Blair Witch Project was made with a ridiculously small budget and with minimal advertising. Despite this it turned out to be a huge success and is a great inspiration for ideas and creating an atmosphere when making a horror film.
Halloween was another great horror film I looked to for some ideas and inspiration : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077651/
"The year is 1963, the night; Halloween. Police are called to 43 Lampkin Ln. only to discover that a 17 year Judith Myers had been stabbed to death, by her 6 year-old brother. After being institutionalized for 15 years, Myers breaks out just days before Halloween. No one knows nor would wish to find out what would happen on October 31st 1978, besides Myer's physciatrist Dr. Loomis. He knows Michael is coming back to Haddonfield, but by the time the town realizes it, it'll be to late for many people."
Like with the Blair Witch Project this film has a very tense atmosphere throughout. It also uses sound very effectively with very powerful, tense and frightening music at points in the film.
The Shining is another classic horror film I really enjoyed that involved some techniques I thought where effective : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/
"A man, his son and wife become the winter caretakers of an isolated hotel where Danny, the son, sees disturbing visions of the hotel's past using a telepathic gift known as "The Shining". The father, Jack Torrance, is underway in a writing project when he slowly slips into insanity as a result of cabin fever and former guests of the hotel's ghosts. After being convinced by a waiter's ghost to "correct" the family, Jack goes completely insane. The only thing that can save Danny and his mother is "The Shining"."
This film shows a lot of nice film techniques and character development which can be effective in a horror film. It also has a few unique techniques with the sound and lighting and how they are used. One distinct thing I remember from the film and I assume most people do is that loud uncomfortable screeching sound in it that plays quite a lot. The film also has signifiers to heart beat sounds and other things through out. The film is able to portray the fathers slip in to insanity very well and gives a strong feeling of isolation.
Scream is another film that focuses on the horror genre but this time it acts as a parody often mocking a lot of its predecessors and making the film more of a comedy than a horror. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117571/
"One year after the death of Sidney's mother, two students turn up gutted. When a serial killer appears, Sidney begins to suspect whether her mother's death and the two new deaths are related. No one is safe, as the killer begins to pick everyone off one by one. Everyone's a suspect in this case."
With my film I have been looking at making it in to a parody as it can be difficult to make a serious horror when you have a budget of basically £0. This means Scream will be a huge influence in how I approach it as this was one of the first and most successful horror parodies.
Scary Movie just like Scream acts as a parody of most horror films mocking a lot of the things that consistently appear in a horror film and breaking conventions to become a comedy. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0175142/
"A group of teenagers including Cindy Campbell and Bobby Prinze, accidentally hit a man when driving, and dispose of the body, but now they are being stalked by a very recognisable masked killer. The victim count increases, whilst Cindy must survive the carnage that she has seen in so many films before."
This will probably act as another huge influence to my story just like Scream as a parody can often be filmed with a smaller budget effectively and it allows you more freedom as you can challenge conventions regularly and are often encouraged to do so.
Thursday 3 February 2011
Even more advertising
Advertising plays a huge part in the medias success and is probably the largest source of income for some parts of the industry. On the internet particularly advertising provides the majority of revenue to a lot of websites. Video streaming sites such as Youtube and Blip.tv and live streaming sites like Ustream and Justin.tv are hugely dependent on advertisements to get enough money to keep running. This advertising can come in a few different forms. On video sites the most common will be picture adverts with links often there due to google ads. More recently there have also been a lot of adverts during the videos like at the start of a Youtube video there will quite often be a advert for something relevant to the video. This is becoming very similar to television where advertising in between programs is a huge source of income.
When looking at ways to advertise my short film with its posters it is important to consider all these different techniques that people use to raise awareness about there products. I think an effective way to advertise a short film with posters could be the internet where you can create your own web pages dedicated to the film or furthermore you could pay to get a picture placed in the side bar or somewhere on the page of a website that attracts an audience that would be interested in a short film.
Alternatively there are far more traditional ways of advertising the film that need to be considered such as a page in a newspaper. With this you would need to look at the audiences for each paper and which audience would be more interested in the genre of film. A good example of this would be comparing something like The Sun to The Guardian. They each attract very different readers who will most likely have different opinions on a lot of films.
Another more traditional way to get a product advertised is the radio. This was actually one of the options for the extra task in my project brief. Radio advertising can be very effective to appeal to a large demographic of people while also not being as expensive as television advertising. Like with all advertising there is a lot to consider with radio advertising such as which station? What is that stations target audience? What time would you want to advertise? On radio the morning is probably the peak prime time slot as that is when the majority of people will be listening to the radio on there way to work hence advertising at this time would probably be far more expensive.
All images where obtained from google image searches
When looking at ways to advertise my short film with its posters it is important to consider all these different techniques that people use to raise awareness about there products. I think an effective way to advertise a short film with posters could be the internet where you can create your own web pages dedicated to the film or furthermore you could pay to get a picture placed in the side bar or somewhere on the page of a website that attracts an audience that would be interested in a short film.
Alternatively there are far more traditional ways of advertising the film that need to be considered such as a page in a newspaper. With this you would need to look at the audiences for each paper and which audience would be more interested in the genre of film. A good example of this would be comparing something like The Sun to The Guardian. They each attract very different readers who will most likely have different opinions on a lot of films.
Another more traditional way to get a product advertised is the radio. This was actually one of the options for the extra task in my project brief. Radio advertising can be very effective to appeal to a large demographic of people while also not being as expensive as television advertising. Like with all advertising there is a lot to consider with radio advertising such as which station? What is that stations target audience? What time would you want to advertise? On radio the morning is probably the peak prime time slot as that is when the majority of people will be listening to the radio on there way to work hence advertising at this time would probably be far more expensive.
A lot of advertising is also partially subliminal such as with buses that have adverts on there sides or even a far more subliminal one would be carrier bags which have a huge brand logo on them advertising the shop you have been to. phone booths as well when they where prominent would also carry posters on there sides advertising local products. Bus shelters will usually have a advert for something that would appeal to a very large audience such as a consumable product or a film.
These are all things to consider when it comes to how I can effectively use the advertisements I have created to appeal to the largest portion of my target audience possible for minimal costs. Another important thing to consider with advertising is funding. ukfilmcouncil.org.uk is known to give out extra support and funding to help independent films with advertising and promotion.
All images where obtained from google image searches
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