Change to plotline

Just a quick update, I have made a small change to the plotline by removing the mugging scene. This was because it didn't really fit with my trailer and plotline. I felt it was an unnecessary element because it would deviate from the main focus of the trailer and give too much away to the audience about what happens to the character.

Creating trailer end credits

After researching the various codes and conventions of film trailers, I have noticed that they feature end credits. These feature a billing block of the cast and crew followed by a release date with a tagline. These are featured at the end of the film trailer to provide the viewer with crucial information regarding the film, placing the information at the end makes it more memorable.

Revisited schedule

Project Plan2

After filling in most of the schedule, I have realised I need to finish my magazine research and my poster research, also I need to finish editing my trailer. I am behind schedule but I have plenty of time in the next few weeks to finalise my research. I pretty much already know what my magazine will look like, I just need to do the research to back up my ideas.

Final font desicion

For my poster I have chosen to use the sans serif modern font BARON NEUE,

 this is because it is a practical font. Because of its simplicity I can edit it with ease using photoshop, It will also integrate into any colour scheme I choose and can be easily applied onto any of the films promotional packages. Its sharp edges connotes to the harsh plotline of the film, also as it is not a condensed font, the spacing between letters allows the reader to absorb the title of the film easily. I will most likely use a simple, muted colour for the font, this will give the font an insignificant feel, connoting to the insignificance of the character.

Photos of the filming locations

Here are a selection of photos and videos from my principal; filming locations.

 

 

  For the bathroom scenes, I used the bathroom at my own house as is has a clean cut modern feel, the lighting is bright allowing the character to be seen clearly by the audience. Also the mirror above the sink allows for an interesting mix of shots to be used showing the reflection, the ring of led's around the mirror also frames the characters face and adds a 'ghostly' blue light around the edge.

For the meeting scenes, I hired out the meeting room at sixth form, this was because it has a corporate feel due to the oversized chairs and large table, this anchored to the corporate feel of the meeting and the costume the 'representative' is wearing. I was able to utilise the light in the room as it had a bright harsh feel to it, making the sequence more unnerving.

For the flashback sequence, I chose to film at Attingham Park, a National Trust park with a stately home. I took some panoramic nature shots to act as establishing shots of the trees and river, then I took photos of my actor by the stately home to infer that is where she lived. The period location and costume infer this scene is filmed in the past.

 

Choice of music for the trailer

I have sourced the music from a website called http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/, you can access royalty free music online and download them easily onto a memory stick or PC. The best trait of this site is that you can browse background music by genre, such as electronic or horror, and feel, such as eerie or aggressive. This is helpful when navigating the enormous database of music. I picked the traits 'horror', 'eerie' and 'unnerving', this helps me find tailor made music to suit the feel of my trailer. This provided me with a more concise list of songs, here is a link to the results
 http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?feels%5B%5D=Eerie&feels%5B%5D=Unnerving. 

Each song shows a detailed description of the overall feel, the length, the instruments used, and the tempo. This helps me gauge how useful it is without even listening to it, thus making the site easier to navigate. You can easily play the music through the site and pause and play when required. 

After looking at the website, I have come up with a rough list of potential soundtracks, the description of it is from the website: 

• Mirage: A sort of drone-based piece with something that sounds like a waterphone, and some other things that I don't know what they could be. Super chill - good amounts of tension with some glorious consonants.

• Devastation and revenge: A low hum sets a dark and mysterious mood, but at 0:49 the orchestral strings, horns, and pounding drums begin, perfect as the background to the hero?s dilemma or impending battle scene. At 2:01 the music reaches a climax and builds into discordant, terrifying suspense. The ending, at 2:35, features a lone guitar and mournful vocals, depicting a great sadness and loss.

• Ghostpocalypse 2, the call:Some dark and low rhythmic elements. Some bits of piano.

• Lightless dawn:Add a dark intensity to any scene... Is there building action? Is there a clue? Is there a need for ambiguity?

• Private reflection:Epic myth. Part of the hero's journey. Starts with a solo soprano, and later mixes a full choir. Ends assuming you'll mix it into another piece.

• Lasting hope: Minimal percussion gives a subtle edge to the smooth synth line

• With a creation :An experimental piece, designed to emulate a keyboardist with her robot. The piano player likes to play with the EP in this piece. Take a listen to get the full effect. EP used heavily throughout the entire piece. Build at 1:02, percussion picks up with heavy, fast beats.

On reflection, I have decided to go with ghostpocalypse 2, this is because it is roughly the same length as a film trailer should be, but can be edited easily due to the quite elements. It has an unnerving feel and the crescendo at the end will be good at the end of the trailer when a climax is built. Here is a link to the track :

http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100667

Call sheet two

Here is the call sheet for day two of filming on the 21st of January. 

The z-ombie makeup process

After watching the tutorials online and looking at articles on the internet, I eventually came up with a z-ombie look that I could build upon (i.e make more gory with progression). I wanted the makeup to reflect the various stages of development. For my trailer, I decided to show three stages, that meant to do three levels of makeup and three different bite marks. Stage one being fairly 'un-dead' whilst stage three being 'extreme' . I used the makeup I mentioned in the post about makeup research to produce a realistic look without looking too fake.

Stage one:

 The makeup here was simply used to make her look unhealthy, I used a mix of a white face paint and a light foundation to gain that 'undead look', as both of these products had a blueish undertone, the overall skin colour looked slightly more 'dead'. I painted on dark circles to give a weary, tired look rather than to make her look like an obvious z-ombie.

For the bite mark, I used special FX products such a ridged collodian and scar wax to give the impression that the mark is sunken into the skin, I didn't want it to look too irritated, just like an old inflamed scar on her arm. This bite mark will provide obvious connotations that she was bitten, and that the film has a z-ombie element to it.






Stage two:

 For stage two, I wanted to show some obvious deterioration, particularly around the eyes. I used eye shadow to hollow out around the eyes and red lipstick under the eyes to give an irritated look. The cheeks are also more sunken in, indicating a recent loss of weight.         For the Bite, I wanted to make it look more sore, using red lipstick to create the impression of inflamed skin combined with purple eye shadow made it look like it is bruised and infected.   







 Stage Three:


For this look, I wanted the character to look like she has lost a lot of weight, therefore I used eye shadow's to shade and contour around the collarbones to create an appearance of malnutrition. To emphasise this, I asked the character to wear a vest to emphasise the makeup and the degradation. To give an even more 'dead' feel, I painted fake veins on her forehead to make the skin look slightly translucent.

 
For the final stage I also painted the hands to look more decayed, the close ups that will be used in the trailer will emphasise the hands and how they have degraded.











To make the bite mark look more extreme, I painted veins coming out of the bite to look
even more infected. 

Film Script for trailer

I have produced a basic film script for the meeting room scene in the trailer. I will hand it out to my cast the day before filming.

INT. MEETING ROOM- DAY

FADE IN (FRIST FEW LINES WILL BE USED AS A VOICEOVER FOR COMPANY LOGOS OR OTHER SHOTS)

JOSEPHINE is meeting a representative from the undead liaison office in a meeting room to discuss her treatment. The scene starts when she is recording a video diary stating her personal details. Both characters are facing each other at opposite ends of the table.

 

(VOICEOVER)REPRESENTTIVE

Can you state you’re name, age and current condition?

(VOICEOVER)JOSEPHINE

My name is Josephine Lewis, I am 125 years old, I became infected in the year 1912 aged 22 and I am in a stable condition

CUT TO MEETING.

REPRESENTITIVE

We’re here to discuss your prolonged treatment of the Hyronamide drug, which, as far as I can tell seems to be causing you no problems

Pauses to tick something on a sheet of paper

I would like to discuss the termination of your treatment starting from today, due to recent cuts, which I cannot (pauses) discuss, one pill per day will be removed until you are free of the treatment.

JOSEPHINE

(Concerned)

Are you sure this is safe? Their won’t be any side effects will there?

REPRESENTITIVE

I can assure you that the termination will be as safe (cut to JOSEPHINE in bathroom) and controlled as possible (Cut to her in bathroom again

 

Protagonists final costume

Here are the final costumes I have chosen to use in my film trailer for the protagonist. I will analyse why I have chose certain elements of the costume.

Here are some other photos of the costume for the flashback sequence, I decided to also include a cardigan over the top of the shirt as we were filming outside therefore it might be cold.

Call sheet: Day 1 filming

Here is a call sheet I created for my first day of filming, January the 18th.

obstacles

I have recently encountered a few obstacles:

A main one was that I was not able to download fonts online due to security issues, websites such as Da fonts which provide a wide range of unique fonts suitable for my poster, trailer and magazine, prevented me from downloading fonts. The only other way of acquiring fonts is using the fonts preinstalled on photo shop and fireworks, or screenshotting the font from da fonts and editing it in post production on fireworks, often a lengthy process.