Malevolent Phantom 

Production Team

Evaluation: Activity 8

Malevolent Phantom 

Targets

What targets will you set yourself for G324 next year - when you will make a trailer?

One of the main issue was timing, we weren't able to spend much time on the title which was a important factor to our film. We spent a large amount of time editing that the outcome for our title didn't satisfy what we imagined it to be so the production of the titles was rushed. Apart from our production titles we also researched horror opening texts which gave us more information and knowledge on what the font should be and where it would be placed but it was time consuming. The text we chose form the opening was a mistake because it connoted a rom-com vibe rather than a sister feel. I learnt that research is a huge part to make sure that it follow the horror cliche and conventions to make it realistic.

Personally I though that our choice of  out non diegetic music was great because it was suitable for the situation and events that occurred in the opening, it created tension and suspicions which grabs the audiences attention. I was also extremely pleased with the diegetic sound such as the rustling of the trees, footstep and the squelching of the mud which gave it a realistic effect however the drawbacks of the diegetic sounds were the dialogue in the beginning with the girls wasn't clear. To improve this I that we should of used a voice over so the audience can hear and they may sense a connection with the character from the beginning.

The problem with making our opening film was the weather especially the low temperatures and the light changes, it got dark very quickly which interrupted our filming schedule that we planned for so I think next year we should plan ahead and get there early to be able to gain more footage. The weather was very cold so we did shoot scene quickly as we were losing our patience so we ended up with decent footage.We had to re-film some of the parts due to the light changes however the weather also changed so the surrounding had some changes which is evident in some areas of the opening scene. We decided to film after school so we didn't have to gather during the weekends as our free time wouldn't match however we did rush on some of the filming because of the weather so our filming didn't have a unique factors but I believe that we did well due to the variety of shots used. When we made our way to the location we would plan on what we were going to film which was a good idea but the sun would set very early because it would take us at least 40 minutes which meant that we had less filming time. We wanted the lighting to be sinister and dark but it would only last for 20 minutes before the camera couldn't pick up the characters. As the lighting was a huge problem we did decided that we had to film in the mornings on the weekends. If we decide to a horror genre for our trailer then I think that we need to use a higher quality camera especially due to the fact that we need low key lighting because our opening was a horror opening - the camera couldn't pick up the character so it caused many problems whilst we were filming.

Even though we thought that we had a reasonable amount of planning we didn't have enough in the end as our planning looked disorganised. I think next year we should make use of the story board and plan the exact shot we want to use for the scene so we don't end up with various ideas and end up using the wrong camera shots. The storyboard should include details such as how long each shot should last because when we edited our opening scene we had to cut some scene as the daft was 4 minutes long which exceeded the time limit set. The script should  also be planned ahead so we don't improvise in the set. I believe that we should have extra shot planned beforehand which may be useful and less time consuming.

The result of the completed opening scene was good but there was many flaw which can be improved  next year. I feel that our group worked very well together to achieve the final opening because we filmed and edited the opening on time and we were able to re shoot certain areas. We all put our effort on attending the location when the temperature were low. Personally next year I want to do more experimenting with the shot type and try to stretch ourself to be able to produce a extraordinary trailer. Some of the targets I would set for next year:
1) Always plan (include a lot of detail) before you film
2) Schedule for the right days and visit the set before we start filming
3) Invest on a high quality camera
4) Research to expand our knowledge on specific areas
5) Timing, make sure we focus on the aspect to the trailer e.g. titles

Evaluation: Activity 7

Malevolent Phantom

Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to fill product?

When we did our preliminary task we experimented as it was our first practical task. We knew about the rules for filming such as 180 degree rule and other shot types so we practiced and included it for our preliminary task. We mostly focused on the continuity because we felt that it was a important part of making a film good so the audience doesn't feel that it reflects real life so therefore they aren't able to engage with the story completely so continuity was thought during the making of our horror opening. From our preliminary task we identified areas which our preliminary lacked so we were able to improve our skills and apply it to our opening and we also practiced the shot reversed shot. The preliminary task also helped us with the editing process because we tried out new features such as cropping, transition etc. We learnt so much from our preliminary task and analysing the horror genre opening scene such as Scream, The Ring and Women in Black. The match on action was used for our preliminary and final opening scene because we thought that it was very effective camera use and our technique had improved, during our editing process our skills had massively improved so we were easily able to cut scenes with the software we were using. We used the phone ringing although we improved it for our final opening scene because we added a non-diegetic ringing and vibration which made it clear to the audience that the phone was ringing. We found that a script was very useful as we had to re-film some of our preliminary scene because we were unable to remember our dialogue once the camera started without hesitating.

The production titles for our preliminary task looked very simple and basic due to our lack of knowledge in editing therefore we used  the editing program Sony Vegas because it was simple to work with however there wasn't may features which made the footage plain. During our preliminary task everyone was involved however for our final opening scene we were organised and had specific roles we had to focus on which made our official titles professional. Compared to our final opening scene the titles for the preliminary task has a cloudy background which does conform the horror genre as it's dark but it may cause the audience to lose focus from the beginning. While the titles for the our official opening is combined with the beginning of the film so they audience are likely to focus on the characters.As we've done more editing and gained more skills we had more knowledge to use the Adobe Premier Elements editing software that allowed us to play around with the features we were satisfied with the opening titles. We also put the titles in different part of the screen to see which placement and font/size suits the overall look. As a group we made different production titles "KSNH Films" and "Aspire Production" which is included in the beginning of the opening scene.

For our preliminary task  we had extremely low ranges of shots, most of the shots were medium shot, there was a brief high angled shot in the beginning and shot reverse shot. We focused on the filming techniques such as the 180 degree rule which continued through the filming and applied it to every scene. As weeks progressed we had improved our filming skills and the knowledge of how each techniques worked and applied it to our final opening e.g extreme long shots. By analysing films we knew what shots were suitable for a horror genre opening so it has a impact on our audience such as the extreme close up. Once the preliminary task was finished we reviewed it so we would improve our mistakes e.g shot reversed shot so when we were making our opening, the process was quicker as did alot of planning.


The preliminary task was planned very briefly so we had to improvise with our dialogue because we had a short amount of time to plan and as a group we all decided that we would focus on the shot types and camera technique instead on the content. However of our official opening we had a longer time to plan so we were able to write up a script and add more detail. We also practices how we would voice out the dialogue so it has an effect to the audience. The script for our official opening is published in our blog post to show that we added detail to it.

Evaluation: Activity 6

Malevolent Phantom

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

This is the camera we borrowed from the school because we could get an alternative one. The camera is extremely basic and doesn't capture high quality footage but on the other hand the outcome of the opening scene for our film was decent so i was pleased with the final product. We were able to film for quite a while so it had a good battery life however this camera wasn't able to record once the lighting was dark, we wanted to create suspense however we weren't able to film later in the evening. 

To edit all the footage we decided to use the Adobe premier elements software to edit the opening scene, the program include different features such as cropping, cutting, transitions and effects which allowed us to create a good quality opening scene. To create our titles for the film we used more basic programs such as windows movie maker to create and used professional fonts. In the beginning using the program was difficult to use however with the help from Youtube video we achieved a good opening scene.

YouTube is a video sharing website, the site allows individuals to upload, view and share videos. We uploaded our opening 2 minutes and with annotation, preliminary tasks, video diaries, etc. This has expanded our knowledge on what features YouTube includes e.g video annotations and i learnt about different technology.

We used blogger to post our blog pages, this was very easy to work with and it allowed me to produce a high quality and detailed page. I was able to change the layout of the page and it also enabled me to make my own preference on the theme such as the background, font colour etc. I was also able to add features so i could find my post easily and schedule my post so it looked organised.  

Evaluation: Activity 5

Malevolent Phantom

How did you attract/address your audience?

        

Evaluation: Activity 4

Malevolent Phantom 

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Our audience would watch supernatural and post-apocalyptic TV dramas which has an unrealistic and suspenseful plot which gives them thrill and excitement; they may watch these series because of the attractive characters. Depending on the audience’s taste they may listen to various music genres however majority of them will listen to different types of rock genres. They may like how it’s musically diverse and the loud vocals. Our target audience would have dark clothing or the merchandise from their favourite horror film/drama. Our target audience would watch our film because it’s mysterious and it grabs their attention as soon as the opening begins. It features techniques used in the horror films and includes intense music creating a thrilling atmosphere. 

Evaluation: Activity 3

Malevolent Phantom

Director's Commentary (Script)

Why the various people are named in the titles - which jobs appear in the titles and in what order and how have you reflected this?

The first name that appears is the main character “Chloe Hicks” then “Conor Nelson” as the supporting lead character.  Then the extra characters are introduced “Amy Knight & Rashmi Sen” The directors and producers names appears as they have filmed it. We researched some titles and found that the important roles of the films e.g. main characters are introduced first and the least important roles appears later on.

What does the production company do?

A production company basically helps create the film by assisting with the budgeting, scripting, casting the characters and scheduling. They’re responsible for finding the right director and the characters with the talent required for the film however they’re also accountable if there are problems that affects the film e.g. the injuring of the main character. The production is involved with the film from the start until it’s fully completed.

The idea of a distribution and who that might be and why?

A film distributor is responsible for marketing our film, they usually set the release date and where the film will be exhibited and viewed. They can make it public by releasing the film in the cinema or it can be viewed at home by releasing DVD. We decided that we wanted Warner Bros as the distributor for our film as it distributes worldwide and had financial success. They have had partnerships with independent horror film companies e.g. Hammer Films Production.  We chose Warner Bro Distribution Company because we believe that it would fit our film requirements than other institution and it has handled a lot of low budget films in the past.

Where the money might have come from for a film such as yours?

The UK Film Council will invest £20.2 million of public funds from the United Kingdom lottery into our film.

What is your film similar to institutionally? (name some films which would be released in a similar way)

Institutionally our film is similar to Hammer Films Production because they are a British Film Company and specialised in the horror genre. This institution has a distribution partnership with successful studio such as the Warner Bro. Their success was due to the partnership which different   distribution company which lead to the Film Production with the financial success.

Woman in Black is similarly released as Hammer Films produced it then the film was distributed by Momentum Pictures which is an independent distribution company in the UK and Ireland.

Evaluation: Activity 3

Malevolent Phantom

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Evaluation: Activity 2

Malevolent Phantom

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The first screenshot is taken from our opening scene Malevolent Phantom while the second screen shot is from the opening scene of the film The Ring. There are similarities with the two shots; we’re able to see that both girls are portrayed to be vulnerable and naïve as they’re both alone. The character’s facial expressions may suggests that they’re frightened, troubled and they’re not aware of the danger they’re in. The film The Ring and Malevolent Phantom are both a horror genre so the audience would expect the setting to be in an isolated places so the character are more accessible to danger which are all the connotations of a typical horror film. Both characters conforms to stereotypes that younger women aren’t intelligent and vulnerable which is evident as the characters seem unaware to danger that’s about to occur.

The concept of our film is “fear of the unknown” which suggests that the identity of the phantom is unknown to the characters and the audience however it’s revealed later on. The film The Ring also has a similar concept which creates suspense as the audience try to figure who the antagonist is. The plots of both films are very similar e.g. the opening begins very positively however it’s only at the pivot point of the scenes, the characters are in danger.

However there are also differences due to the different filming locations. The character in the film Scream is indoors so her costume is different whilst our film setting is located in outdoors which means that the costume would be different. The characters indicate that they’re both young, innocent and they’re abandoned and will die tragically.

Evaluation: Activity 1

Malevolent Phantom

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media product? (i.e. of filming openings)

The camera shot used in this scene is an establishing shot which shows the audience the location of the opening scene which is set in a light area with trees but it’s contrasted by the cold grey road and the scene highlights that the main character with her friend which could suggests that she’s happy and safe with them. However when her friends leave her she goes through the wood which connotes cold, darkness and suggest that the outcome won’t be good. The setting is remote and isolated which shows that the main character is alone and isn’t able to escape very easily or get help once in danger.

The shot is a low angle shot which shows that when the three of them are together they are safe then the shot changes to a long shot as well. The characters in the background suggest to the audience how tiny and insignificant the characters are compared to the surrounding which portrays them to be vulnerable as they are with the trees looming over them.

In the beginning the original clip was very lengthy and shows the characters walking down from the background to the foreground but when we began to edit the opening scene we thought that its dragged for too long so we cut this scene so the audience wouldn't be bored.This shot introduces the character as it’s the first time the audience sees them so they may make assumptions about them. Costumes are a key part of this because the main character Lucy is wearing a bright, bold coloured coat which shows that she plays an important part so the audience are likely to focus on her character because something may happen to her. The two supporting character are wearing neural and plain clothing so they don’t diverted the attention to them and it signifies that their presence isn’t important compared to Lucy .

During the opening, the titles appear at the bottom corner because we didn’t want it to be a distraction so the audience can focus on the characters that appear. For the titles we chose the colour white we though it matched with the colour scheme and it looks professional as it’s similar to some horror opening we researched. The font is plain because we didn’t want it to look overdone and fancy.
The opening conforms the horror genre because the character represents a stereotypical girl; they’re young, naïve and innocent. Usually in the beginning of a horror film the character seems to be happy however once the film is at a pivot someone murders them. Its set in a remote area on a misty and gloomy day where there is no one is able to help. 

This shot is a close up which shows the main character’s facial expression, this allows the audience to know the character so they can learn more about her. The surrounding is blocked by the character so the audience may suspect that there is something that is lurking in the trees. The shot conforms the horror genre as they feature close up and extreme close up to create a tense atmosphere, this also allows the audience to be in her shoes so it draws them in.This is something we wanted to make a key part of our film so we used alot of point of view shots when she is looking around or running. Throughout the scene Lucy is given prevalence because the camera never cuts from her.

The shot shows that Lucy is alone in the woods as her friends are leaving, this conforms the genre because the character is alone in a rural area such as the woods. There are many shots that establish the setting which creates suspense so the audience will expect something to happen however this is cut by the sound of the phone ringing which breaks the tension that was being built up.

The medium shot shows the characters coat which is a visual reminder that something bad will happen; this may connote danger which conforms the key aspect of a horror film. The phone shows that she has connection outside as her mum calls her – this is an important part of the film as it’s the phone call is the reason to why she has to walk through the woods and it’s her last dialogue before she’s killed. The phone calls could also connote danger because her mum tells her to come home immediately because she might have done something wrong. If she had not received the call she might have gone the long way round so therefore she wouldn’t have been killed by the ‘malevolent phantom’ and there wouldn’t have an exciting plot. This storyline conforms the horror genre as people tend to be attacked when they are alone and somehow they end up in a remote area. On our storyboard we decided that her phone battery would run out so she wouldn’t be able to have any connection or help from the outside world however due to the how long our opening was, we decided to cut the scene. I believe that cutting this scene didn’t affect the outcome but I think that we could have had the phone dropped but it would have been hard to make this scene natural. 

For this shot we used a long shot to let the audience know that she’s entering the rural area where the phantom is lurking, we were inspired from the film ‘Schindler’s List’ as Lucy coat is bright in contrast to the woods just like the girl that had a bright red coat in the film. The coats foreshadows their fate as they both end up dead. This scene conforms the horror genre convention as the girl is young and innocent in a remote setting of the woods where that she is likely is going to be attacked by the phantom lurking in the wood. We used a long shot which is rare for this genre because it tends to decrease the tension as the audience is exposed to the surrounding which allows them to search for antagonist and it breaks the convention of the horror genre but on the other hand the shot also emphasis that Lucy is alone and cut from the outside world.

This medium shot includes both the main character so the audience know that they’re alone in the woods however the attention is diverted to the Malevolent Phantom who is lurking, hidden behind the trees, the camera tracks him as he makes his way towards Lucy. Malevolent Phantom is sinister and mysterious due to his appearance and body language; we wanted him to be hidden.  We used Lucy’s point of view which suggests she’s a character of importance as they audience must know what’s going through her mind so they’re able to emphasis with her. To introduce the Malevolent Phantom we used an over the shoulder shot so the audience doesn’t lose focus on Lucy and the audience will be more engaged as they’re being rewarded for waiting for the antagonist to appear. This shot is a crucial scene as the Malevolent Phantom is revealed so the audience would want to know more about him. The scene also lets the audience emphasis with Lucy as she’s seems vulnerable compared to the Malevolent Phantom.

The medium shot of Lucy’s facial expression is very effective as it highlights her emotion – scared, suspicious and confused. This shot blocks the surrounding which is a convention to this genre because it creates tension as there could be something lurking in the background. The camera gives a lot of prevalence to Lucy so the audience is able to go through a journey with her - expression and emotions changes from the beginning. Diegetic sound of the leaves rustling could be heard which may suggest that danger is present so Lucy is alarmed and stops. This shot is lengthy as Lucy steps onto camera and we’re able to see her nervous glances, the non-diegetic fades in – building up volume and tempo which suggests that the scene is the climax however when Lucy turns around they’re nothing her behind her. This is a horror genre convention as there are false climax scene to build up more suspicion and tension which allows the audience to pose more question than it being answered because in the previous scene we see the Malevolent Phantom behind her. The audience would wonder whether he's going to attack her. 

A medium shot is used to show when Lucy finally sees the Malevolent Phantom that has been tracking her and her facial expression and body language shows that she is scared for her life. The long shot shows the surrounding so it doesn't focus on Lucy and  the malevolent Phantom subverts they horror genre convention because there isn't much use in long shots because it reveals too much area. The close up of Lucy's face is would of been effective as it expresses her emotions however due to the appearance of the Malevolent Phantom we had to use a medium shot instead which was perfect for this scene. There is non-diegetic music introduced - high volume and tempo because we want the audience to now worry about Lucy because she can either get killed or escape him. Malevolent Phantom's costume is much more darker than Lucy, this conforms the description of a stereotypical villain but on the other hand Lucy stands out which suggests that her character is still dominant even though she's going to get killed - the juxtaposition of the two contrasting colours work very well together and it also works with the surrounding. This is an important scene as Lucy finally see the Malevolent Phantom so then she starts running for her life, the build up of tension throughout the opening is very effective for this moment because there is a chasing scene which keeps the audience at the edge of their seat. The scene then cuts to to a fast paced sequence of shots which shows her running away from the Malevolent Phantom, this provides the audience with excitement as it plot is getting to the dramatic story rather than focusing her life story - we're able to see that this hooks the audience.  

After the intense chase scene we decided that Lucy would fall to her knees suggesting that she's in relief because she believes that she's got a away from the Malevolent Phantom - this conforms the horror cliches and convention by having the antagonist appearing for the behind as the protagonist fate looks doomed. Before this scene a low angle shot was used to show that Lucy had a higher position and was safer but when the Malevolent Phantom appears in the background we cut to a medium shot to show that Lucy is going to be attacked. Previously when we used the long shot it would of revealed too much of the surrounding and there wouldn't of been much focus on the characters. For this scene a close up of Lucy wouldn't been useful due to the fact the Malevolent Phantom wouldn't of been included in the scene so therefore we used a medium shot. If we had more time to film this scene we would of created a better setting and filmed with high angle shots to show s the character's vulnerability. We had a lot of problem with the lighting in this shot because the natural light shines on the left side of her hand but we went to re- shoot the scene the condition of the surrounding was different because of the rain so we weren't able to shoot the footage because it looked out of place and didn't match with the rest of the shot. In my opinion i don't think it affected the shot much as it contrasts with the Malevolent Phantom.

The original shot was very lengthy however we had to cut it short due to the timing issue and to make the scene more effective by creating more drama because it cuts to black after this shot. We decided we wanted the black screen instead of the character being dragged out of shot by the Malevolent Phantom. The background of the pond was there to represent her salvation as the audience would feel that she escaped the Malevolent Phantom so therefore she was safe but it also shows that she is isolated. This conforms the horror genre convention as she’s all alone which  is a key factor of horror films such as SAW, The Hole and makes the audience feel more scared for a characters as there is no one to save them. The Lucy's coat is bright which could hint of danger and blood where as the Malevolent Phantom is dark and sinister. Lucy's coat is dark red which may hint what could happen to her when she enters the woods and the darker color on her coat may suggests that she's not as naive as the audience believe she is. 

Film Presentation

Malevolent Phantom 

Film Production

Audience Feedback

Malevolent Phantom 

Audience Feedback

The audience feedback is very important because it allows us to hear their opinion on what features we did well on and what we could of included or improved in our opening scene. Our criticism was mostly on the font we used for the '48 Hours Earlier' because it didn't suit the horror genre because it was bold and simple.