Main Task: Murder Studies group evaluation

Here is the group evaluation of our work over the course of the Main Task process. Every member completed at least one question each, I answered questions 3 and 7. Credit to group member Mateusz for putting together the presentation in Prezi format.

Main Task: Murder Studies

Here is the finished product for the film opening to new hit Teen horror movie... Murder Studies! Enjoy!

Main Task editing: Sound and Music

A lot of our sound was compiled on Garageband on the iMac but also we downloaded copyright free music from the internet on a site called www.freesound.org.

Main Task Editing: Final Cut

For our Preliminary task we used iMovie in order to edit our video in a very quick and simple manner. This is not the case for the Main Task as we used a more complex software in Final Cut Express. Using Final Cut allowed us to achieve the best results and the aspired results for our Main Task Coursework. Final Cut allowed us to superimpose titles onto the video edited in Livetype and insert original audio partly compiled on Garageband to give our film opening that extra originality and diversity. Upon getting comfortable with using Final Cut we started to find editing simple and therefore the process of editing went smoothly and quickly.

Here are some screenshots of the editing process.

Main Task: Mise-En-Scene

For the opening of "Murder Studies" Fred's (My) costume is all black but business like, this conveys that Fred is a well-presented and well working student however the colour of the costume creates the aura of a mysterious darkness in this seemingly "average joe" character.

                                   

Main Task Construction: Sorting out equipment

For filming our opening to "Murder Studies" we needed certain equipment in order to assist us in guaranteeing smooth movement with the camera. The dolly (a wheel based assistant for smoothly moving the tripod) was very helpful in parts of the opening such as the beginning with the crab shot of the classroom and the tracking shot of Fred (Me) walking through the school corridor.

Group partner Mateusz putting together the dolly.

Me and my partner Mateusz together with the newly assembles dolly equipped tripod.

Main Task: Shot List

Main Task: Filming 2 (Classroom Scene)

During day 2 of filming we filmed the classroom in which the teacher establishes the scene of a media lesson by speaking about the Coursework task at hand, in this day of filming we also established the character of Fred who is writing something mysterious but obviously cryptic on a side of an A4 sheet of plain paper.

Main Task: Filming 1 (Vision scene)

Our first filming session included filming the vision scene in which Fred (John Power; Me) is chasing a victim (Holeigh Perkins) in an attempt to murder her. The two camera shots we used in this short scene was a tracking shot for the chasing and a close up shot for when Fred finally catches up to the victim who has reached the obstacle of a locked door that leads to safety. The scene cuts out as Fred appears to have his victim caught, this leaves the audience asking the question; does the victim survive or die? 

 
The starting point of the scene, before Mateusz's shout of "Action!" to cue the running. This was our 4th take as we had apprehensive thoughts on the pace of my character's running and how far away I should be from the victim for my starting point.

This is the end of the scene in which the victim turns to see Fred advancing towards her to presumably murder her. The close up adds to the tension of the scene as minimal looking space for a character can convey the idea of being trapped to the audience. 

Main Task Research: Final Cut Express practice

In order to get comfortable with the software we would be using for our Main Task editing we practiced with a small test. Here a student is getting dumped and the scene has been edited to get rid of background noise of the cameraman shouting "Action" and the actors laughing at the end of takes.

Use mark in/ mark out to pick out the small section of video you want to copy piece by piece, you can press the left and right buttons to go from frame to frame in order to get rid of the "Action!" moment at the right second. 

"Do you think our son's going to be okay?" "Yeah he'll be fine" was filmed from two different angles but has been edited to make it a shot reverse shot. 

Main Task Planning: Storyboard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Main Task: Action Plan

Here is the action plan for TwinPine films up to the final piece for our main task. The week commencing 28th January we plan to finish the storyboard and shot list, completing the process of planning therefore we will be ready to commence filming the week commencing 4th February. After Half Term on the week commencing from the 18th February we as a group will converse about what draft of the edited piece we will move forward with as each group member will edit the piece their way and as a group we will choose the best to edit further as a team, adding sounds. On the week commencing 25th February we will be editing the chosen piece and polish it by adding a soundtrack.

Main Task Research: The importance of sound in Horror films

Sound in horror movies is very important to build up tension and create an eerie threatening atmosphere that gets the audience on the edge of their seats. Sound is important at all times in a horror movie whether it is during the introduction, halfway through the film or at the ending. Sound determines the success and failure of creating a scary tense atmosphere, for example a song like this would never make it into a horror movie.



The main types of music associated with horror movies are original scores for the film (e.g Halloween opening theme song) or heavy metal music (e.g The Freddy vs Jason soundtrack). Sound used to create the appropriate atmosphere includes a slow tempo that gradually gets faster as seen in Jaws. Music like that gets the audience's adrenaline pumping through their system therefore they feel either anxious or exhilirated which is the mood that the director wants the audience to feel. The deep bass rumble that is cliche for tension building moments in horror movies always gets the audience on the edge of their seat in anticipation of something about to happen whether it be a killer or just a fake scare. Horror movies are also praised for their chilling emphasis on sound.







The genre of music most likely to be utilised in a horror movie is Metal e.g Slipknot. The reason for this is that heavy metal and rock is associated with violence and death as people's perception of metal bands and fans are that they are really dark, psychotic, strange and violent and horror is what they associate with this sort of music. Examples of metal used in horror can be seen in the adaptation of Anne Rice's novel 'Queen of the Damned (2002)' in which bands such as Disturbed and Static X are used for the soundtrack with the songs 'Down with the sickness' and 'Cold'. A heavy metal soundtrack is also used in Resident Evil (2002) with Slipknot and Marilyn Manson the two main acts behind the soundtrack with Slipknot providing a new mix of "My Plague". Horrors grew out of the original score trend and entered into using music already recorded as seen in Freddy vs Jason (2003) (A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th along with Halloween were quite famous for their original music). Here is the opening song to Freddy vs Jason.

Main Task Planning: Location

For "Murder Studies" here are the locations in which we will be filming for the opening 2 minutes.


                                             Media studies iMac room for classroom scene

                                                    School Corridor for the chase scene

School staircase for chase scene

Main Task planning: Screenplay

Screenplay for “Murder Studies”

 

School Classroom, Afternoon, Media Lesson

 A male teacher is standing in the front of a modern day sixth form media classroom with rows of iMacs.

 

TEACHER: Now that you have finished your independent research for your task you must now plan what you are going to film for your new Horror movie. The minimum length of this movie must be no more than 60 minutes long. The deadline for the finished product will be....

 

The teacher’s voice and background noise is blurred out as the camera now focuses on Fred, a student in the teacher’s Media class. Fred has a completely blank emotionless expression on his face. The background is blurred out with the noise as the focus is completely on Fred. The camera slowly tracks in on Fred with a slow heartbeat starting in the background. Fred begins to hear screams of murder victims and as the heartbeat begins to build a gradually faster tempo the sound effects of Fred’s visions -that the viewer does not witness- begin to gradually get more potent and violent, screams build volume.

 School Corridor/ wing, Night, Fred’s vision.

 

A killer is chasing a girl trying to catch and possibly kill her, the camera angle is following the victim from the Killer’s point of view. The killer gains on his victim and as he gets into touching distance of his victim....

 

School Classroom, Afternoon, Media Lesson

 

A fake scare as the teacher suddenly slams an exercise book down on Fred’s desk in front of him.

 

TEACHER: Stop daydreaming Fred and go sit with your group.

 

Fred looks down at his book and finds “Murder Studies” across his book cover, a deep bass rumble as the words appear in the shot.

 As Fred gets up to go sit with his group the camera blurs out the entire focus of the camera.