Changing font colours/ Adding things | DRAFT #3

After some small audience feedback I got the observation that perhaps the catchphrase and production company logo colour is too dark and should be kept within the same scale but just slightly brighter, so I straight away experimented with it and have seen that it works 100% better. It does take the attention away from the Ouija Board behind it slightly but that can only add to the subtly of it. I have also moved all of that section up slightly to add in a 'in cinemas' section which I chose the date January 13th, the same date I put in my double page review because I wanted to go with the theme that January isn't known for any supernatural or scary events such as October and halloween and therefore, nothing seems out of the ordinary much like the storyline.

Adapting/ Changing The Storyline

Going through the beginning footage I shot I really wasn't happy with how it flowed and felt like there was too much dialogue which would take up a lot of the short films time whereas, silence it more of conventional way to build suspense plus, with us not being the best at acting I thought that by having less dialogue would actually help to improve it, this is something I have talked about previously. So I create a new storyline for the beginning of my short film which includes a bag being left with a note explaining the situation rather then the dialogue, I feel as though this will be much better and might even help the reality of the situation as I was beginning to dislike the idea of the conversation between the two characters and then 'Claire' giving in so easily and taking the bag whereas, this storyline she has no choice as the friend has already left it and there's nothing she can do about it but also, the audience get an introduction to the second character as the 'Best Friend' as that's what she shall sign the note with so it's still the sae characters just different way of telling the story, I didn't want to change it too much as I didn't want it to no be relevant to the previous work I had done.

Opening Credits #2

Adding/Choosing My Production Company Logo | DRAFT #2

I finally decided on which Production Company logo font/positioning I am going to use an it is design 3 (see left) which is the font 'Another Danger'.

I chose it because the audience feedback on it was very positive and a lot of people said that it represented the horror genre very well, there were a few comments saying it was more related to a slasher sub-genre and even though I can see that aspect I feel that the use of the sharp endings to letters, texture and slight splatters gave it a menacing feel to it which works well with my image of the 'jester' to connote trickery and perhaps mischief just like how a spirit from a Ouija Board uses to set themselves free.

I have added it to the left bottom corner of my poster, within the credits which is conventional for film posters to do as they are essentially part of the credits. I have made it the same colour as the slogan/catchphrase to keep a limited colour scheme within the poster.

My Poster So Far | DRAFT #1

Here's my poster so far! I have used a stock image to work a template for my settings and positioning of my text and other images. I have got rid of the satantic symbol I previously had on the background because like I thought it would, the main image covers it to the point where you can barely see it and overlaying it overs the main images and takes away it's effective sinister look. I made it so that the title is longer in width to that it doesn't look so out of place but also, I have added a slogan/catchphrase just above the credits saying "You don't have to play to be in the game" this is to hint and the not as conventional storyline involving the Ouija board which is slightly visible behind the catchphrase to connote that, that is indeed what it is referencing, it's up to the audience on how that is interpreted but either way it provokes curiosity.

When coming up with my title name and do a few sketches I talked about how I wanted them to understand that it was a Greek however, I wanted them to know what it meant so I had the idea of having a shadow like or reflection like effect under the title spelling 'death', this is something I have easily been able to do as all I had to do was place the letters upside down and then lower their opacity to make them more subtle.

I haven't completly finished as I still have to add the production comapny names and logos in the left and right bottom corners but also replace the stock image with my own image to help with character recgonisation.

Page Two Underway! Draft Two

Now that my review page is half finished I can focus all of my attention onto the second page of this ancillary task. On my second page I did add more scratched onto as there was a slight random black section that seemed out of place, this was just to help with the consistency and theme of the background as having a random plain section could actually draw the readers attention to it when it's not needed.

I also played around with the positioning of the verdict section as I felt like it didn't fit in well and was almost like an eye sore so, through looking at other EMPIRE review pages through Google Images and actual magazines I saw that some copy the style that was used for the summary section and when trying that I saw that it looks great. I feel like the rectangle to the side almost indicates the beginning and the end of the review, beginning with the summary and ending with the verdict. However, this has actually resulted in leaving a rather large gap in the second page with I have attempted to fill with more text but then it feels to text heavy which I know and personally find as something not appealing, I've also tried to fill it with another image but then the layout of the images doesn't look correct and they look misplaced so that is something I need to figure out and I have some ideas in mind such as, a scare O'meter etc.

Page One COMPLETE! Draft One

I have completed the first page of my ancillary task, the double paged film review. This page is more dominantly filled with text however, I broke that up with my 'Look Closer' section, a quote about the film and then an image just so that it doesn't seem to text heavy and less appealing, initialling I did actually forget to include the small summary section that is placed before the review even begins, I was able to easily and quickly move the review column down to leave enough room to add it in.

When looking at the way other EMPIRE film reviews present this section I saw that they conventionally have the rectangle to the side of it, which I have included and I believe that this is because a sudden solid colour against the draw background draws the readers instant attention with is what you'd want as it provide a quick summary on the film itself ultimately helping them to decide whether to read the review or watch the film. For both pages I have added the conventional layout for any magazine with the page numbers in the bottom corners followed by the websites in the opposite corner, I actually chose the pages numbers of 65 and 66 because of the satantic representation and association with the number 6 and I couldn't have it ad 666 and EMPIRE magazines or any everyday magazines don't have over 140 pages.

I also noticed that a lot of magazines will have quotes in-betweens breaks in the text from viewers or famous and popular film reviewers as they themselves are appealing but it can hep them to make an instant impression on it as it to say ' well they thought it was good so surely it must be'.

Now, at the end of the final paragraph of the review it's conventional to have the writer's name at the end in the same text and colour what the sub-headings for the beginning summary are to add to the consistency.

Poster Background

After placing the scratched background on my review double page spread I thought about the relationship between my poster and the review page itself to give it some brand identity and an aesthetic, this would help the audience/viewer to recognise the theme and design and associate the poster with the review page and vise versa. Even though I have used the same image for the background I have faded it more and added more gradient to it by only have the scratched visible at the top and bottom of the poster as the fade around where the dominant image would be.

When I was analysing the Ouija poster it had a section where an Ouija board was placed just below the centre of the poster and then faded out into the darkness, this is an effect I really liked as it connoted the use of the Ouija board and spirits etc. without making it the dominant image. This is something I have tried to copy but placing it just above the credits and yet again using the gradient tool to try and get the same fading effect and then lowering the opacity so that it's more subtle.

The next aspect I added it more experimented and not something I'm sure if I'm going to keep. I added a satantic symbol, one that used within the actually main task (short film) however, I think that the dominant image might overlay it too much to the point where it isn't actually visible and overlaying it on top of the dominant image night make it a little too busy.

Look Closer Fact Box

While I was adding more to the text section of my review I noticed that the background just didn't seem right and looked too plain and I started playing around with some different colours but then when I was going through my fonts I thought about maybe having a theme between the background and the fonts which meant a scratchy background so, I went onto Google images to see if there was a scratch PNG file I could easily apply however, there was not so instead I had to use an image with a black background but white and grey scratch already applied onto it. The image itself was only half the size of A4 so I placed it onto my background 4 times and then used the gradient tool to blend them into one another to make it look like one big images but this also allowed me to have some of the plain black background still showing, this allows for the text not the blend with the scratches and help it to still stand out against the black background but also, it doesn't over power the double page spread and gives it the right amount of scratches to plain ratio.

This itself actually helped me with finishing the design for my fact box/look closer section. I had come to a part within the text of the review where I wanted to break it up slightly by using a fact box however, I thought a rectangle box would look out of place amount the scratches and would be the wrong kind of eye-catching I wanted so thinking back to went I google for PNG scratches I remembered that the individual ones could help to match the sort of theme I had going on but then I thought they would be too thin to contain the fact so instead I leaned towards a brush stroke which went in with my storyline as a small part is the character painting out Satantic symbols therefore, this could hint and connote that to the reader. I found a PNG image of a single brush stroke which made it easier to add onto the review page without the struggle of having any white marks around the edges. I created four of the brush strokes to contain the facts and made them the same colour at the title to keep the colour scheme conventional and consistent, the numbers for the fact section are in the same font as the title however, the actual font itself doesn't have numbers built in so I had to create them by using letters and then editing them together which I found actually helps with the loose but at the same time blocky font. Overall, I am really pleased with how it turned out and even though it doesn't look like my initial designs I believe that it helps to keep the flow within the double page spread and helps to make it more interesting and unique, I also decided that seeming as I was using the EMPIRE logo
and that I was mainly using that magazine for inspiration,
that I would keep their conventional 'Look Closer' title for this section.

Poster Title Font

As I said before, I want to use a scratchy almost chaotic type font for my title and to begin with I created the title above and was initially thinking of using that one however, after recently searching for more I came across one called 'Jo Writes A Love Letter' a bit of an off name but it fits really well with the look I want to achieve. So, I went into photoshop to create it and here is how it turned out:

I think it makes the title much more easier to read then the previous one without taking away any of the effect it has. I also put it onto my two ancillary's that are currently a work in process just so that I can get a feel to how it would look and if it would be suitable. I found that I love the look that they had and have decided to go with the second decide I have created, the first one was good but i felt like the word got lost in everything that was going on with it.

That Was Close...

I started placing the text part of the review onto the template I had created and altering the lay out to make room for the facts section when something just didn't look right, it looked more like a book then it did a review page, quickly it clicked that I'd forgotten on of the biggest conventions... the column formate/structure the text is usually laid out in. I wasn't actually sure how to create columns in photoshop however, I found out pretty quickly through trail and error and the result looks 10 times better.



I'll probably adjust their font size and positioning as I develop it more but at least step one is complete, so far so good. I have also changed the background to black to go with the conventional horror colour theme but thinking about when I looked through film magazines a majority of the pages would be white with thinks over laying it so a sudden black page should grab the readers attention more.

Measurements For A Double Pages Spread

To make sure I make my ancillary to the best I can with it being just as realistic as possible I have searched up the correct and accurate measurements conventionally used for a double page magazine spread. I won't necessarily be using the second on colour and gutter however, the rest I have found to be very helpful and easy to apply to my template I made previous and I can now start putting it all together.

Using this measurements and a simple image to guide me I was able to create the template on Adobe Photoshop CS6 which I can now use to develop my drafts leading into creating the final product for my review page.

Having To Re-Shoot

While going through some for the footage I filmed with Sasha I saw that some of the lighting was off but also some of it didn't look very realistic so I've decided that some of it needs to be re-shot and some shots added such as close-up of relevant sections as from personal experience I know that this can help to fill in any gaps in dialogue or help to break any long pauses and just make it more interesting, but this will also help me work around the fact that we are fantastic actors so any parts that don't seem right I can cut away to a different shot relevant to what it happening to help it flow without taking away any of the realistic features.

Main Production - Editing #1

In my planning stages I talked about having whispers at the beginning which would ultimately be interrupted my the main character waking up well, I was searching through sounds and found some good ones but then I found that they didn't help me create a creepy atmosphere but then I came across an ASMR track which when played through surround sound speakers or headphones can act as a way of involving the audience/viewer and making them feel as though it's happening to them and the sound will play through separate speakers instead of all of theme making the directions of the audio vary and more realistic. Adding this into my opening has proven was effective and goes well with what I wanted to achieve!

Initially I created a draft for my production company opening credits but since actually creating a logo I feel like my first draft doesn't fit the theme I have in mind or the the theme of my ancillaries therefore, I have taken my logo and changed it to a dark, maroon colour as though it's like blood and placed it against a black background which runs through the whole of opening because that way the audience have nothing else to focus on but the sounds around them, making them more intense. As the logo transitions onto the screen there is a faint evil laugh that can be heard to go with the picture of the jester as I felt this would be a nice touch but it also feels as though it's part of the sinister whispers making the logo fix in and flow even more.

The whispers themselves fade up and down through the small duration but as they near the end they suddenly pick up to give it a slight blast of sudden sound so that when it is cut of it is more emphasised and shocking to help make the characters movement more sharp, something that I think worked very well.

Fixing A Problem

A prop within my main task production is an Ouija Board, I had ordered one from amazon after seeing if anyone had one I could borrow but sadly they didn't. Now here comes the problem, the Ouija Board didn't show up on the delivery date and then continued not to be delivered for the day of filming, today. So I had to work around the issue but trying to use something that resembled one, for this I used a large, wooden, black clapperboard and used it for close up shots mainly, my thought process was that the majority of people know what an Ouija Board looks like and seeming as both the clapperboard and the ouija board have the similarity in looks I thought it would help tp resemble/represent one.

Looking back at the shots I filmed today I'm happy to find that my plan slightly worked, there are some where it doesn't work aswell but some can be used. This means I have to stray slightly away from my inital plans and storyboard for this certain scene however, it doesn't effect much of anything else so thankfully crisis solved!

Poster Credits #1

For every film poster, whether they're at the top or the bottom of the poster there are credits! I decided I would begin to create mine so that I can have all of the pieces to create my Ancillary task of a film poster. I have already done some ancillary research into these therefore, I knew that certain parts had a different font size to others but also what was contained within the context and the order. I did use images of other posters to help me but also some websites into fonts etc.
The font I used for this is 'Promenade De Le Croisette'
I used my own production company name and the real actor's name 'Sasha Webb & 'Maddy Flaherty' however, the majority of the rest I used an online randomised name generator as it being a niche and independent company on a low budget it's not likely to have big names in it such as Hugh Jackman, Tim Burton etc.

To do this I used Adobe Photoshop CS6:

I found that it surprisingly took longer then I thought it was going to take however, I am happy with the ending result. When it comes to placing it onto the final product/poster I think I will make it more central or either in three straight lines because right now it goes off the the left and down like a book which isn't the correct effect for a poster however, for a first draft I am happy. Also, I made the credit text a light grey because the white seemed to stand out too much and what I noticed on other posters was that whatever colour they were they were always darkened due to them not being as big of an important part of the poster, any important credits would be placed at the trop of the poster to highlight their importance and who they were. These aren't the finished credits as I still need to add a 'website' link and my production company logo which is still in the works however, these will be added shortly.

Film Review - Fact Box Designs

When looking through film magazines such as EMPIRE, I noticed a similar section in most of the reviews which was a small review box which gave the audience some behind the scenes insight and facts about the film. In EMPIRE is was called a 'Look Closer' section with five or 4 bullet points, this is an aspect that I really like as it breaks up the text of the review, it also looks very appealing especially when it matches the colour scheme of the entire review. Another thing their does is allow the a audience better connection with the film and the behind the scenes, so as a result I behind drawing out some designs for a small 'Look Closer/Facts' section of my own but also playing with some colour schemes which I will later one create in photoshop for a digital version. 

The fonts I have used for the designs will not be the fonts I used for the actually final one on my Ancillary product, this is just for the examples and drafts.

For the first design I created (first left), instead of having five bullet points like the majority of the ones I'd seen previous I decided upon having four mainly because it's an even number which is actually known as an audience pleasure as people will usually round things up to them so even though this is an odd reason it could draw the reader into the section. The colour scheme I have chosen is black, red and white which is actually a very conventional colour scheme, especially for the horror genre as it help to connote the genre itself due to the red connoting danger and the black darkness which could actually connote fear as it's known as one of the most common phobias/fears. I made the text for the facts white so that it stands out easily against the black background, making it eye-catching. 

The second design (second from left), where the majority of it is very similar to the first with the exception of the red rectangle going fully across the black background. I did this design to see if it would be better for the entire fact to be separate from the background making it more highlighted and stand out more as it connotes it's importance and that it is indeed the fact, everything else I have kept the same. 

For the third design (third from left), in this one I changed the order of the colour scheme whilst also removing the white. I did this to see if it would change the impact it would could have or it's appearance, personally I prefer the first colour scheme because this one seems as though it is missing something and it all seems to blend in together too much which is something I don't want as I want it to be more appealing and eye-catching. 

For the fourth design (last right), I combined them all together. Having the background red with black rectangles going across it with will contain the fact in a white text to help it stand out more and easy to read but also, I added a small title box saying 'facts' which might later change to something more catchy to draw the readers attention to it like how EMPIRE has 'Look Closer'. I also feel like the use of rectangles and squares give this small fact box some consistency which could be an audience pleasure for the reader as it also gives it a slight aesthetic which is known to be visually pleasing, it also makes it look very professional. 

Doing these I see that I want to take the first design and the fourth forward further when it comes to the final product as the layout and final colour scheme near to the and might effect my decision further so by doing this I will be able to play around with the colour scheme and layout more. 

FINALLY FILMING!!!!!

So now that part one of the script/shot list is complete and I have my cast I can finally begin filming!!

I have scheduled a filming date for Sunday 5th Feb 2017, which has been agreed upon. This is where we shall film part one of the script/shot list as that is a very major chunk and I don't believe we will get much further. I'm very excited to start filming and test out some things that i got as advice during my research and also some of the things I found through online tutorials. We're filming indoors so there is no chance of rain interfering with any of the equipment or meaning we have to move the date, the worst it will do will be create some background noise which might even add to the creepy effect.
Fingers Crossed everything goes well !!!

Shot List/Script PART ONE - θάνατος

Model Release

In my main task production (short film) I have two characters, one how becomes possessed by the antagonist and then the friend. While trying to find people to play the parts I was about to find one person whoever, was struggling with a second due to it being a busy time for people with exams, mocks, college work etc. So I went to the back up plan of being the character myself however, I have adjusted it so that I am the character in the production in the least so that I can film instead of leaving it on a tripod for the entire time.
So without further or do here is the 'cast':

Name: Miss Sasha Webb
Sex: Female
D.O.B: 26.01.1998
Age: 18 Years Old
Sasha will be playing the female who becomes possessed by the antagonist/spirit. She has signed and agreed to the model release form and due to her being 18 does not require a signature for 'Parent/Guardian Signature'. Something I really wanted to emphasise about her character is the innocence and purity of her that slowly gets darkened as the spirit takes over and with Sasha having blonde hair and blue eyes goes well with that, it could also been seen as the cliche character stereotype for the 'dumb blonde' however, that is not how I want her to be portray in my production.

Name: Miss Madison Flaherty
sex: Female
D.O.B: 11.07.1999
Age: 17 Years Old
I will be playing the friend, I have signed and agreed with the model release form followed by a parent seeming as I am only 17 years old.

Claire's Outfit (Antagonist/Victim)

While doing some mood boards for both my initial ideas and final idea a section I focused on was looking at the teenage age group within horror films. My storyline is set in what seems to be any ordinary day so I wouldn't want to my characters clothing/costume to be anything but ordinary and seem as though nothing is out of place.

I asked Sasha to wear something she would normally wear with my only request being to wear a white t-shirt as I wanted to use that to connote her innocence and what could been seen as purity but then as the possession begins and the spirits takes over to make her the antagonist the white t-shirt can have some black markings on to connote how her innocence and purity is being darkened. Not only that but in the finally scene where she attacks and kills the second character there will be some blood splatters as the knife is drawn back, some would land on her face but some can land against the white t-shirt to make it stand out against it, making it more striking along with the same connotation as the black marks as her innocence being tainted as she now has blood on her hands. As I've said previously this could be seen as a dumb, blonde cliché character type however, this is not the case. In most horror films it's the 'dumb blonde' that goes and starts playing to Ouija board or goes down the dark hall way but in this case she's the one who doesn't want anything to do with the Ouija board and it dragged into it.

I will also be using the make-up I experiment with where I used watercolours to turn the characters hands dirty and dark to connote the over taking of the spirit/antagonist and the evil taking over her, I may also apply some of this to her face however, I don't think it will work as effective unless layered on maybe I could apply some paint strokes instead to connote that she was indeed the one to hand drawn out all of the symbols.