Media Evaluation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnO6l_ZrdEU

Film Concept

What happens when you dabble with the unknown?

No Dialouge

We used no dialogue as we felt it added tension to the scenes & people could concentrate more on the mis-en-scene & the music rather then the speech,i believe it makes the scene even more unsettling as no one is talking which creates a rather bizarre scenario,the music is the main thing you listen to which in itself is very unnerving as it connotes ideas of importance as its the opening so paying attention to what has just happened is hugely important so you have context in the rest of the film

Props

Our props included,candles,cross necklace & obviously a Ouija board as this is the main idea it's based around.All this objects contain clear supernatural ideas & due to our research we learnt that having candles protected people when using a Ouija bored and also the cross gave it more ideas of religious protection & religious themes.

Producers

The institution we chose was twisted pictures and universal. Twisted pictures has done other horror movies such as saw,Dead Silence & texas chainsaw 3D. We chose this institution as we felt it was modern and successful and it would get a lot of press attention and  more money funded to our film as well as also making money back,We also believe that this institution is well recognized and associated towards the horror genre which would increase the amount of people who coming to see it as the institution is so well recognized and respected by audience members who like horror movies,The only problem with this institution being a producer is that it would be difficult to convince them to take on such a low budget,individually produced film.This is also the problem with our other institution Universal,being such a huge company taking on such a tiny idea would mean they would want to tweak it and change actors which may lose the idea we wanted behind it,However with there funding and there worldwide respect the film would be globally known as they have made successes out of horror films such as the purge,Devil & dead silence which was co-produced with twisted pictures so getting the two co-operating again will be easy.

Film opening conventions

Ideas For Film Title

we wanted to do a paranormal film and came up with the title of 'Ouija' as this film is about a Ouija board,we played around with other names such as Devil & Not A Toy but we felt this title was short and snappy and gave you a god premise of what was to come.

As for our insinuation we decided on dark star as there is a black star on the ouija board and we felt it appropriate for it to be in keeping with our first film 

    

Survey Answers

We created a survey on a website called survey monkey so we could see what our audience wanted from a horror film and we could look at the answers easily and quickly




All the people answering were women which shows that women do take an interest in horror films and possibly puts on a more psychological horror path as this is what women are scared by.


These results show that most of the people answering the questions were 16-20 year olds with some other ages.But mostly the target audience is teens and young adults which is what is excepted with most horror films.

Most people answering the questionnaire said that they watch horror films and only around 40% said that they do not watch horror films which shows that horror film's are still a popular genre and a new horror film is a good idea

There was a mixed variety of answers for the types of horror films that people prefer to watch.Most people prefer paranormal films and there were no answers saying they prefer thriller or supernatural films.This shows that paranormal films are and our film is heading down this route anyway,it would be great if we could incorporate all the popular groups into one film however trying to many types into one could almost make it seem like a parody

Our survey shows most people watch horror with there friends,some people may watch it alone to get a full spooky atmosphere

People are saying that horror films are best set in homes,so we are going to put this in our film as it seems like this would be the best option and is something we planned on doing anyway 

This didn't really help anything but at least horror is still being watched 

Final Film "Ouija"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEGO9nq_Q4Y&feature=youtu.be

Locations photographs

We researched some locations where horror usually takes place and then decided what would be the best for our film



Grave Yard

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we thought a grave yard would be a very atmospheric location for our film as it has representations of death and sorrow.The picture above is baldock graveyard,The grave stones cast amazing shadows when single source lighting is used,However we worry a graveyard may be too cliche and due to us filming in December the weather and overall climate may not be on our side.





House/Attic

Our second option was to use a house of one of our actors (probably nick as he lives in baldock so it;s easy to get too and he has a small attic room) We decided this room would be useful as its comfortable and there's no worry's of weather and we can create the lighting in the room rather then depending on the time of day,we could also put in so much mis-en-scene such as candles and crosses to create an atmospheric eerie feel. so would be comfortable for the actors also we would be able to light and use candle which would.Due to it being an attic room the space is very limited and trying to move whilst filming and acting could proof difficult




Church

The church seemed like a good idea with obvious connations to death and religion,but it would be hard to get the feel and atmosphere of the church with such limited equipment and to film inside we would need permission also a large quantity of films have a cliche church and we're not about being a film that is just like the others as it wouldn't be scary if you know what to expect

Blood Making

we spent a lesson looking at fake blood & trying to find out which recipe worked the best for different things,we had ingredients that included flour,maple syrup,peanut butter,ketchup,food coloring and chocolate sauce.

This mix is sticky ,It tastes sweet, and looks real,this was the method that worked best for us,we used

•Water
•golden syrup
•Red, blue, and green food coloring
•Flour

Add drops of red food coloring gradually and mix gently by stirring.

Continue adding drops until the shade resembles that of real blood

Add a small amount of blue or green food coloring to achieve a more realistic shade.

Stir in thick chocolate syrup until the desired consistency (and optimal flavor) is reached.

too thicken addd flour or corn starch and stir it

If the mix is too transparent, add a little flour.

Taste:Good and sweet great for spitting up as an effect
Appearance:dark red

Appearance on skin:pictures above

Appearance when ‘coughed up’:

Chocolate blood (edible)

Corn syrup (or golden syrup)
Red food coloring
Powdered chocolate
corn starch 

The chocolate blood worked well as we could eat it and the darkness of the chocolate powder made it seem more realistic and gave it an almost brown look like real blood has but was too gloppy to be real,On skin it worked well and had a nice drippy effect and was easy and realistic looking when coughed up

Combine light corn syrup with red food dye until you get a shade that closely resembles real blood. Add chocolate powder. Add a small amount of cocoa powder to the syrup mixture to darken the shade.If needed thin the blood by slowly adding water, or thicken it with a couple pinches of flour or cornstarch

Peanut butter blood (edible)

•Peanut butter
•Golden syrup
•Red, blue, and green food coloring
•Chocolate sauce
•Corn starch

This blood once again tasted nice and a bit like a peanut  butter cup but was far too thick but it looked nice for wounds and when clumped up looked like chunks of skin with blood,wasn't possible to cough it up as it got stuck on the roof of your mouth 

Make it thick. Slowly mix in corn syrup until the desired consistency is reached. Slowly add single drops of red food coloring until the mixture is dark red.Adding a little blue or green food coloring will make it even more realistic for color. Adding chocolate sauce or chocolate powder gives a darker color to make it thicker mixture add corn starch

Tomato blood (edible)

Ketchup
•Water
•Red food coloring
•Corn syrup

This blood tasted vile and looked so bad on skin and when thrown up,it just looked poor and nothing like real blood,was far too thick and not the right shade at all,it also stains! 

Put three or four tablespoons of ketchup or tomato sauce Mix in water slowly until you reach the desired consistency.Add a few drops of red food coloring.•Add a teaspoon of corn syrup.

Costume

This is the costume board,on the top left we have Sophie's outfit,top right is Nicks,lower left is Charlotte's and lower right is Holly's,each with at least some black included to stick to theme of horror but still with different personality to each outfit to make it unique to the characters.  

Organisation Of Actors

It was really hard to stick to schedule as things come up last minute and we often over estimated how much good quality film we had,this meant including an extra day of last minute filming which was so hard to find a day that suited all actors,when the house was free & also when me and Sophie were available to film.

"Ouija" Presentation

Ouija Research

we did some research on Ouija boards to make our opening as realistic as possible 

You will need:

• 1 Ouija Board 
• 1 Candle (preferably white)
• Incense ingredients for burning, incense sticks or aromatic oil for burners (optional)
• Always have 2 or more people present for best results (it is not recommended for beginners to use the board alone)
• Pen and paper

Conditions for a successful séance

• Only have people present who are serious and respectful. If the board is used without care or in a joking manner, this can attract unwanted and potentially dangerous negative energies and spirits. 
• Do NOT drink alcohol 
• Clear your mind of all negative thoughts or distractions. Your mind must be clean and clear. 
• Anybody having any psychosis or psychological disorders or persons who are nervous, anxious or have addictive tendencies must not use the board. 
• Never ask questions relating to your own death or death of another person. 
• Keep your posture straight and do not cross your legs under the table.
• Make sure you visually protect yourself and have faith that you are protected. Imagine a white light surrounding you and your friends. It is always a good idea to make an affirmation before you begin. For example, "With the power of the elements, spirit guides, angels and higher self, I and the users of this board are protected from all negative spirits, entities, energies and influences."This is what I personally use, but you should say something that resonates personally to yourself.

One person should be the main person to ask any spirits to come forward and talk. This same person should be the one to close the board down at the end too (see “closing down the board”). Everyone should lightly place their fingertips on the planchette. The main person should start by asking for protection against any negative influences (by visualizing a light around you and the participants and asking your spirit guides and higher self or angels to protect you and that you are only willing to communicate with spirits for your/our highest good).

Then ask if there are any spirits that would like to come forward and speak. Something along the lines of “Are there any spirits in the room that would like to speak to us. Please communicate with us by using the board only. When you are ready please move the planchette to YES or move it in circles“. It is safer if you ensure that the spirits only communicate through the board - make it certain that you are in control of the board and either ignore any other spiritual activity in the room (knocks, bangs, tapping, lights etc) or ask the spirit to either use the board or leave.

When you receive contact through the board ensure that you thank the spirit that has come forward (it is very important that you remain at all times with utmost respect and gratitude). When receiving an answer to your question, each letter must be clearly visible in the hole of the planchette - if it is between letters, ask the spirit to reconfirm the letter and it should move to the correct one. ALL fingers (2-4 fingers per person) must remain on the planchette at all times.

It can take up to 15-20 minutes before any spirit will come forward to talk. Remain calm, keep your fingers on the planchette and clear your minds apart from focusing on the planchette. If nothing happens then slowly move the planchette yourselves in large circles around the board a few times, then pause and wait - usually the spirit will take over from here. If you still have no luck after about 45 minutes then close down the board and try it another evening.

Suggestions to ask

• Asking the name of the spirit is always a good question to start with. 
• Occasionally spirits cannot or do not wish to answer certain questions so respect their silence and do not ask the same question over and over again. Ask once, once again to confirm and that is all. 
• Ask if the spirit is a good spirit. If the planchette goes to NO, it is advisable to close down the board and wait at least half an hour before attempting to make contact again. 
• You can ask any general questions about your own life, for example:
  How can I live better?
  What am I doing wrong?
  Am I in the right job?
  What can I do to improve my life/situation etc?
• Note: Take the answers like you would anything else that somebody tells you (alive or dead). Do not revolve your life around answers you may receive as they may be inaccurate.

Audience Profile

The main audience is teenagers & young adults aged from 15-25 who want to be scared by horror movies,they are probably very social and will pay good money to see these films in cinema with there friends.They are also very aware of trends in clothes and are on such social networks like twitter and Facebook.Most of the audience will still be in full time education e.g collage or university however the could be anywhere on the NRS social grade scale from D all the way up to A.Women tend to watch films with more psychological themes such as the Blair witch project or the ring,ones that genuinely seem like they could happen in day to day life where as Men are more likely to want to watch the ones with blood & zombies such as saw,hostel or 28 days later. However there are always exceptions so even if we aimed it at this profile,people from other classes and age ranges could be interested.

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Film Brainstorm

 Our ideas were rather all over the place to begin with some of them we figured would be to difficult to do,we rather liked the idea of remaking a classic film into modern day & possibly having a film noir but we soon realized a large quantity of our more original ideas were spanning from the supernatural section of the page.

We expanded on supernatural and thought about story lines,possible characters,settings & what would be the domino effect in the story's. 

We finally decided on the idea of a Ouija board being our main prop in all this and making it the focus of the entire film as there as so many stories that people have and everyone is always tempted to try one,We also like the originality of this concept as even though Oujia Boards have been featured in horror films before they've never been the main focus of attention 

Survey For Horror Film

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3QC6FF8

Horror Location Shots

Horror film locations

House

Being abandoned & in the middle of no where becomes more mysterious & therefore  connotes ideas of the supernatural due to how lonely it is.This is a stereotypical setting for a horror film and is used in films such as 'The Amityville Horror' & also 'Salem's lot'. But there are also normal homes which look like our homes so when something happens or is the target of something supernatural it makes us fear for our own homes such as 'Paranormal activity'

Wood

Another Stereotypical setting is a wood or forest it tends to be at night,the shadows give an eerie feel due to to shapes they cast and  an uneasy feel as you don't know whats in in the darkness.This setting has been used in films such as  There are films such as 'shrooms' where woods are used in day light.

A Graveyard

A graveyard holds obvious connotations to death and therefore the afterlife & other supernatural themes.Religious themes are also present as there a crucifixes and often churches in the background which gives ideas of struggles between good and evil,death & god.Sets like this have been used in Frankenstein & Drag me to hell

Any isolated area

The more far away from security and the norm,the more unsettled an audience will feel as it's mysterious and almost has a feeling of anything can happen,such as in the shining where it's an isolated hotel & due to the isolation jack goes mad,we also see isolation used in Evil Dead & ALIEN 

Abandoned Hospital/Asylum 

Asylum's and hospitals are used as they are often places of death and very unpleasant when inhabited anyway. Due to the nature of such places we can see unusual and rather grizzly characters,This has been used in Sanitarium & Shutter Island

Preliminary Evaluation

what was my role?

I chose the loctaion and helped write the script by imporvsing lines as my charcter,i also made descions on shots which worked well and connated messages that we wanted to get across.

what worked well?

The location worked well as we we're supposed to be in a schoool,the camera angles flowed really well and where consitent,the speech was clear and there was nothing wrong with the quality

what did'nt work well?

The tripod was creaky sometimes and it can be heard when we did certain shots and sometimes you can hear slight giggling in the background

what would you do differntly in your main task?

In the main task we will use a different tripod that does'nt creak and try and stay focused and not laugh