This Project is CLOSED

We enjoyed working together

I guess it's over

Enjoy reading

Goodbye!

Audience Reaction Video

Equipment Release Form

Final Storyboard

To Be Blogged

Storyboard - Done
Shoot Schedule - Done

Equipment Release Form - Done

Audience Feedback Video
Final Video - Done

Check Links - Done
Labels (3 + names) - Done

Updated: 21:31 (James)

Shot Report (Post 12/3/11 shoot)

• Establishing Street Pans - 3rd Take is best, slow and smooth
• Forensic Introductory Shot - 7th Take is best (after continuity errors were spotted)
• Matt's off ground shot - Possibly use at end of sequence
• CU Alex talking - Good (eventually), last take is best
• CU Loui talking - Take 6 best (final take)
• Cuts on body - Stills better than pan
• Matt POV with gun - Possible
• POV of bodies - 3rd Take is best
• Final POV beast - 3rd, 5th and final take all ok
• Master shot of Soldier entering - Take 4 is best

Final Post-Production Week

Here are our target for the week ahead, as it is our final week of post-production:

• Add in the retakes of the shots we had to reshoot and colour correct them to suit the rest of the sequence
• Order the titles and add them into our sequence and make sure music is finalised to suit the action
• Play our sequence to an audience and amend it based on the feedback we receive

Our deadline is Friday 18th March, so we are planning to be completely finished before then in case we need to change anything we might have missed

Rough Edit 2 - Feedback

After speaking to Chris we were notified of various improvements:

- The Forensics randomly appear at the S/R/S, therefore they need to be introduced before moving into shot 7
- The Sun Shot (Soldier POV looks up exhausted into the sky) will be removed as it disorientates/confuses the viewer
- The Blood Shots did not come out as expected, and were too light
- Re-shoot beast POV death as Soldier doesn't show enough reaction
- Reduce LS length
- Remove the crouching/firing shot from the end as it is confusing

Group Meeting #7

All present.
Start time: 9:50AM Wednesday 2nd March 
Finish time: 10:25AM Wednesday 2nd March

• Preparations for second and third shoots.
• Second shoot is test for real shoot.
• Mask (prop) arrived and has been confirmed as fine.
• Outlined what still needed completing from pre-production.
• Agreed who was doing what during the course of this week.

We got feedback from our teacher. She expressed the same concerns with our project as we had, but we should be able to complete everything now that our schedule is sorted.

Final Script

Cataclysm

1. EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET, NORTH LONDON - EARLY MORNING

Opening shots of empty residential area, nobody around. As shots change we get closer to the house on the end of the road, where two forensic officers can just be seen in the distance. Text appears on screen during shots:

London. 2015. The City is a code black location after a radioactive gas leak.

Many parts of London evacuated. Army now in control.

Estimated dead: 7,000,000 and counting

Shots are now close enough so that you can see the forensic officers in the distance checking a dead body. One of them is taking notes on a clipboard; the other one is taking pictures of the body.

Cuts to a foot level shot of a soldier on the street. Soldier pokes at a body with his gun then walks on, camera follows with a forwards track. Cuts to POV of the soldier looking around the street. You can see the forensics more clearly now checking the body and there is another body which is in the street.

Parallel cuts with establishing shot of soldier and forensics on the street. As soldier approaches the forensic officers, he coughs loudly to grab their attention. As he walks towards them it goes to a shot-reverse-shot of the conversation.

Soldier: What’s the sit rep?

Forensic 1: This is the last street we need to check in this area. There’s 15 dead including the 2 on this street and there’s one more just inside the gate there (points towards gate)

Soldier: Have you checked it?

Forensic 2: No we haven’t had time

Soldier: Go check it now then

Forensic 1: But sir, we have to finish this one...

Soldier: Just go!

Forensic 1&2: (begrudgingly) Yes, sir

The forensics walk towards the gate. Cuts to a POV shot of the ‘beast’ watching them from the corner of the garden. He watches them as they closer to the body, as they approach cuts to a LA close up of them crouching down by the body with the camera and clipboard.

Forensic 1: Right then, who do we have here?

Forensic 2: Young female, possibly early teens. Chemical scarring...

Forensic 1: On the right forearm perhaps?

Forensic 2: Of course, just like the others

Forensic 1: Take a picture and then let’s get out of here

Forensic 2: Wait a minute, here on the left wrist and neck, these haven’t been on the other bodies.

Cuts to close ups of teeth and claw marks on the left wrist and neck. Forensics look at each other, the Forensic 2 gets his camera to take a picture of the wounds. Forensic 1 turns towards the soldier and calls to him but the soldier raise his hand.

Soldier: (into radio) Yes sarge. There’s 15 dead here... Area Omega... North London... Just checking the final body now...

Cuts back to forensic officers.

Forensic 2: Where’s sir?

Forensic 1: He’ll be a minute, he’s on the radio to base

Cuts back to soldier.

Soldier: (still into radio) all seem to be from the gas sarge, chemical scarring... no there’s been no problems to report... we’ll be back to base...

(Screams heard in background)

Soldier spins quickly looking slightly shocked. Close up montage of the soldier grabbing gun and walking towards the gate. As he enters there is a close up of him looking down at the floor shocked, and he momentarily lowers his gun and walks towards the bodies. Cuts to a POV shot of him looking at the bodies of the girl and now the two forensics as well. Cuts to the ‘beast’ again, watching the soldier. He moves around the wall and snaps a twig. The soldier turns and instinctively fires towards the corner of the garden.

He then realises thinks there is nothing there so he backs away, looking around. The camera tracks towards him as the ‘beast’ and then goes into ECU of the soldier looking scared.

Cut to black.

Rough Cut Feedback

These are the points we were told to change by Ms Blackborow:

• Move the titles from the end
• Linking Shot needs to be shot
• Slower opening, more of a reveal with a location – Shoot the street establishing shot
• George Romero – Night of the Living Dead opening (watch for inspiration)
• Stronger reaction from forensics
• More forensic interaction – chemical scars
• Emphasise difference in female body
• Show complete shock of soldier between montage and body finding
• Smooth track into soldier kill

Rough Cut Feedback

All present at start, Matt and James present after the break
Start time: 13:20

Ms Blackborow gave us feedback on our rough cut, which we noted down so that we could use it on our reshoot and edit. Reshoot needed as props and costumes lacked the required realism. We also need to shoot some more establishing shots and add to the script.

End time: 15:05 (with break from 13:35-13:50)

Edit Session #3

James and Alex present
Start time 14:25

We finalised music editing and put titles in at the end, edited so they appeared in time with the music. Alex looked for sound effects for screams and gunshots, which we would need in post-production. James finished checking the continuity of the sequence and edited it accordingly.

Finish time 15:40

Edit Session #2

All present
Start Time 09:30

Second edit session during lesson. We continued with our ordering of shots and continued searching for appropriate music. Order finished by end of lesson (10:50). Alex stayed from 11:10 to 12:30 to input the music we found in the lesson.

End Time 12:30

Edit Session #1

All present
Start time 10:10

Started capturing our footage and produced our final shot log with our footage. Overall we were pleased with our footage but we saw some shot which we needed to reshoot and have planned to do so.
Began a rough order of shots. Matt started search for music on freeplaymusic.com. Didn't find anything particularly useful at this point. Will continue search.

End time 12:30 (with a break 10:50-11:10)

Practice Walkthrough

This is our practice walkthough for our opening sequence. It is a rough edit of the order of main shots we are going to use in our final sequence. Each shot is annotated, so we can directly use this with our storyboard and visualise every shot.
From this walkthrough we learnt where to put the camera for each shot, and we also learnt the difficulties with background noise and people walking across the background.

Location Pictures

This is a picture from Google Maps of Ravensroft Park, Barnet. This street will be the location for our shoot, rather than the warehouse, as it will show that the radiation is affecting a domestic area so the audience can relate directly to the idea of the invasion of privacy. This location was also more practical as it is near to Alex's house. 

This is the front gate of Alex's house, also taken from Google Maps. This area is possible for the dead bodies which have been attacked by the 'beast' to be placed, as it will relate to the house directly and reinforce the invasion of privacy idea. 



This is another possible location for the dead bodies which have been attacked by the 'beast'. The alley idea will show the 'beast' is secretive. However the alleyway will not really relate to the idea of invasion of privacy, so we will probably use the space just behind the front gate.

Timeline of Opening Sequence

Group 1 Timeline

Group Meeting #5

Matt & James present from start. Alex present from p3 onwards.
Meeting start: 9:30 Thursday 27th 2011
Meeting end: 10:50 Thursday 27th 2011
Agenda - Preparation for Presentation

We all went through our presentation, and who was saying what. By the end of the meeting, we were fully prepared.

Opening Sequence Research

1. Genre Characteristics

Chosen Genre: Action-Horror - although it isn't a mainstream and widely used genre, it appeals to our target audience

Typical Theme: A battle between humans and 'monsters' of some form - this is the theme for our film also. However, we intend to produce our sequence in a more suspenseful and cinematic way than most bloodbaths

Character Types: Strong male hero, beautiful love interest, 'monster' creator/ leader, team/friends who help the hero achieve his goal

Influential Films: I Am Legend - this film is also an Action-Horror film. The 'monsters' in our film were based on the antagonists in I Am Legend, as they hide in the shadows and try to kill the humans in the film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsUjrZtDmA8
(7:30)

2. Target Audiences

Our primary target audience is 15-25 year old males.

Our secondary target audience is 15-25 year old females and 25-40 year old males who have an interest in the genre.

48% of Horror movie viewers are aged 18-24, and 24% aged 14-17. This means that our target audience are the main watchers of our movie genre.



Example of primary target audience member



3. Opening Sequences

Character: Protagonist and antagonist for the film are usually introduced. In our film the protagonist for the opening sequence is not the protagonist for the film overall, they play the role of the false hero.

Editing Styles: Our opening sequence will stick to continuity rules, be quite fast paced and may also use parallel editing between the protagonist and the two forensic scientists.

Graphic and Font styles: Our font will tie in with the genre, so will probably be quite a scary looking font. Any graphics or text effects we use will also be scary to tie in with the feel and genre of the film as a whole.

Use of credits: We will use very few credits in our opening sequence, so that we do not draw the viewer's attention away from the narrative shown on the screen. The credits we do use will inform the audience of the main actor/actress and the director(s)/writer(s).

Music: We will use non-diegetic ominous music in our opening sequence (possibly drums) to create and build tension for the audience. We will use some diegetic sounds of footsteps and doors shutting etc. which will also build tension.

Rhythm and Pace: Our opening sequence will start slowly, so the audience can be introduced to the character and his location. The pace will then gradually get faster and this will create tension up until the climax of the opening sequence just before the film title appears.