Technologies used and how they were mastered

Technologies used and how they were mastered

iPhone - we were all familiar with using an iPhone as we all owned one and were aware of how to use the camera and settings. We used an iPhone 6s to film, which gave us a clear HD picture in 4K.

We did not use any other technology to film, as we had a tripod to position the shots and we mainly used natural lighting so didn't need to get it artificially. We wanted the mis-en-scene to be naturalistic as possible so all we needed to do was film in the light of day and use the iPhone. 

We used iMovie to edit our opening. This gave us the ability to use the automatic file types that our clips were filmed in and have an easy transition when exporting them onto the Mac. The main effects that we used were the match colour setting, adjusting the colour and speed. We also learnt how to put a glitch overlay over the top of some of our clips by using the glitch video as a cutaway clip and changing the opacity of it so that you could see the main video underneath it. Importing sound was easy as we were able to use iTunes to find any copyright free music or effects that we needed.

Pixlr.com was used to create our logo. We mainly used the pencil and pen tools to create the tree. We also had to use the wand tool to invert the image from a white background with a black tree to a black background and a white tree so that it would blend in more with the opening. Finally, we used the text tool to add in 'Fatal Films' at the bottom.

We predominantly used Facebook to communicate with each other. We created a group chat in order to share our ideas and post visuals of the work we'd done. We felt this was on easy way to keep up to date with the progress we'd been making with our blog and opening. 

Certificate Ratings Using the BBFC

Certificate Ratings

PG stands for Parental Guidance suggesting the film is appropriate for general viewing but there are moments which are unsuitable for younger viewers. It should not be upsetting or unsettling for a child aged eight or over. Parents need to be able to establish whether it will affect younger children or those children who are more sensitive. 

12A and 12 are films which are generally not suitable for those under 12. A 12A requires an adult to accompany a child who is younger than 12. Cinemas are likely to lose their license if a child under 12 goes to a 12A film unaccompanied. An adult who is considering to take a 12 year old to a 12A needs to decide whether it is suitable and possible should look at the BBFC insight for the film in advance. A 12 film is part of a lot simpler system for retailers and it means they cannot sell it or rent it out to someone unless they are over the age of 12. Our opening is part of a psychological film and the BBFC states “Moderate physical and psychological threat is permitted at 12 or 12A as long as horror sequences are not too frequent or sustained and the overall tone is not disturbing.”

A 15 cannot be watched by anyone under 15 at a cinema or buy/rent a 15. These rated films may include strong violence, frequent strong language, sexual references or maybe drug taking. In a 15 there can be strong threat and horror but there can be no sustained focus on sadistic or sexualised threat.

Why did we choose a certificate rating of 12?

We chose this certificate rating because our film contains only a small amount of horror which is not gruesome nor exposed to the viewer for a long period of time. Also we believe some viewers may find it unsettling as it is a psychological thriller so is potentially more realistic than other genres because it is based on a girl who has schizophrenia, so many members of the audience may be able to relate to it.

Test Shots and Initial Filming

Test Shots and Initial Filming

George took test shots of her house as this was the location we picked for our filming. This gave us an idea of the shots and angles we wanted to use in order to enhance our psychological horror genre. 

We wanted to use the lake as we felt this added a sense of eeriness. This shot also allowed us a good view of the tree which would be able to hang a noose from.

We planned to use the gate as the point where the protagonist would turn round and see the masked woman, as well as watch the main character run away from the house. This high angle also gives the idea of a sense of superiority from the point of view of the masked woman.

We felt this would be a good shot to use as it incorporated the interior of the house with the exterior of the lake and possibly the glitching of the masked woman and the noose.

This was another possible angle we could use to show the masked woman appearing behind the door, which would create the common convention of home invasion.

This shot would be good to use in order to create a close up of the masked woman as a point of view shot, as well as creating an unnerving feeling from the use of shadows.

This shot gave us an idea of the points around the house that we could use to film from which would give us both a view of the lake and the noose. 

We experimented with various different shots and angles around and outside the house. We tried filming a shot which framed both the protagonist and the masked woman outside, however this made the lighting difficult to control. We then changed this to filming point of view and reaction shots.

We found that filming outside was easier as the lighting was incredibly bright, making it easier to see the masked woman and shadows. Various outside noises sometimes made it more difficult to film, but also added to the natural mise-en-scene.