Final

Here is the final version of Bleached:

Evaluation- Question 6: Use of Technology

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Evaluation- Question 5: Skills Development

Here is a rating out of 10 of the skills I have developed over the course of this project!

Codes and Conventions:

Being a lover of horror/thriller movies myself, I have picked up a lot of codes and conventions of the genre. However, I learned many things from the research and classwork that we were set. For example, I learned the credit structure- which was something that I never really noticed before having to learn about the different positions and jobs. Furthermore, the amount of research that the whole class put in to learning about the conventions of this sub-genre (quick jump cuts, playing with shadows, closeups) and analysing its audiences (YouGov) has really helped me understand the thriller genre enough to create an opening sequence. 

Planning & Organisation

Planning and organisation was something we did really well on in this project overall. From the start, Shir and I planned out what we were going to do- location surveys, storyboard, filming, buying props. We experienced a small delay as we often changed the plot- making some of the planning that we had previously done irrelevant (some location surveys were more suitable for another story). When we finally decided on a plot, everything else went really smoothly- we finished the storyboard very early on- so we were able to gather all the things we needed. Towards the filming day- almost everything was sorted (actors, set)- making us very efficient in filming.

Camera Work

Leaning about the conventions of thriller really helped us with the types of shots we would use. However, we didn't put in as much thought as we could have done on the different types of shots and instead focused on the overall picture- I think this is something that I could really improve on for the next project. I was in charge of filming, which from this project, has really helped me understand more on how to operate a camera and we got to experiment with different types of shots, seeing which looked better.

Visual Effects

We decided from the beginning not to use a lot of visual effects in our opening, so unlike some of our classmates who did spy/action (which required a lot more visual effects), we made ours look simple, elegant and authentic; focusing more on the type of fonts we used and how it would appear- and relied on our plot and camera work. This also made me notice more of the credits in movies, Shir and I went to see The Boy and really liked the style of font they used in the credit, so we went back and changed how ours was, which made it look more like a storybook- which suited our opening a lot better than the previous (modern) one. Also, I did learn a lot from doing a mini project where I worked with 2 other people to create a very short film of the thriller genre. In this project, we decided to do a mirror trick which required us to use After Effects to cut out the reflection and reverse it. 

Editing

Our edit was very simple and minimalistic and we mainly relied on the content. This made editing quite pleasant compared to some of the other groups. We did experience some problems such as the music not being long enough, forcing us to have to replay some of the parts which didn't turn out really good and sounded choppy. We also reordered the events (changed from how the storyboard was originally drawn) which was kind of a challenge as we had to make the new order make sense and use this to build up the tension.

Creative Confidence

The creative aspect of our project was very messy at the beginning. We had many ideas and parts that we wanted to incorporate into the opening, this means that we changed from plot to plot for quite a while before deciding on the one we used. The research that I put into this project has really helped me improve on organising my ideas and also made me understand more of this genre. I think we were able to do well in the creative aspect and in making our opening stand out and unique. 

Evaluation- Question 4: Distribution

How would it be distributed as a real media text?

I would say that our film is somewhere in between being a niche film and a blockbuster.
As it is a dark/noir thriller that carry various controversial topics, it may, naturally, not attract the mass audience.

Furthermore, it may not be appropriate for young children and families- therefore it wouldn't be distributed by many major distributors, Netflix, or made into DVDs, and may be more suitable for being screened at film festivals.

However, people are becoming more accepting of controversial films, and any films similar to ours have gone mass, such as The Silence of the Lambs or have been marketed to the mass media from the start, such as American Horror Story- this may attract major distributors. Being marketed towards the mass population isn't such a bad thing

• I think a release date somewhere from November to October would be suitable for our film as it is not yet too cold to go out (since our film isn't going to be distributed as DVDs or on Netflix). It also means that more people are interested in watching a horror/thriller movie as it is the Halloween season, making our film more hyped up. This also may attract film critics and horror movie lovers more.
• If our film were to be distributed by a major distributor company, I would say Lionsgate Films is the most suitable as it showcases a lot of foreign films of the horror/thriller genre. 

• However, since our film is quite niche, an independent distributor may be used, or it may be screened at a film festival such as Sundance film festival.

         

Evaluation- Question 3: Audience

a) I went on YouGov Profiler and identified my target audience using three movies (AHS, The Silence of the Lambs and Insidious) that I found similar to my opening. From 2/3 of the results, the demographic was liberal female aged around 25 years, however- with further research into movies/shows that are similar to mine, I found that the demography was more diverse (especially upper-class 40-50 year old men). The personalities of these profiles are quiet introverted and 'hipster', most dislike going out and prefer to stay home watching movies.

American Horror Story

The Silence of the Lambs

Insidious

c) My cousin, who fits my target audience offered to give her feedback on what she thought of my opening:

"I would be interested in watching this film due to the following reasons; from the beginning, the sound of the gas being turned on made me feel pretty uncomfortable due to the fact that the cooker being "left on" generally has a negative connotation - something bad is about to happen, (ex: the house burning down). This incident is also something viewers are familiar with on horror movies; the cooker is turned on to signify a "negative presence" in the house, which, in this case, is the man whose face was never revealed. The fact that his face wasn't revealed also intensifies the "ambiguity" effect of this short clip -  as if he himself is an "unknown" spiritual presence. The "music box" soundtrack also provides suspense and along with the dolls, elegant tea cups and the carousel makes the film unsettling due solely to the fact that these objects,  objects that usually portray "innocence" and "sweetness",  are being used in the wrong place and time. Of course, this builds up a very sinister atmosphere - the contrast between the girl's white lacy dress and the dark blood rolling down her cheeks. White is meant to portrayed innocence, and if she is indeed an innocent locked up for "torture", then the saying "the blood of the innocents" can be reflected off this particular scene. Overall the clip has left me very unsettled yet undoubtedly curious - the suspense is so well built and the imagery of each scene so vivid that as a viewer, I am almost able to continue the story in my head - with the music still playing, every object in the room still in the exact same place, and most importantly, although we get very little to no insight about the two characters and their backgrounds, their actions and silent expressions did a good job of revealing to the viewer the "state" of their minds and how they their next actions may play out."

Evaluation- Question 2: Representation

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Evaluation- Question 1: Conventions

Scene 1: Scene 2: Scene 3: Scene 4: Scene 5: Scene 6: Scene 7: Scene 8: Scene 9: Scene 10: Scene 11:

16.01.16- FILMING DAY!

What we did today:

• Shir decorated the set the night before, so we had a clear idea of what we had and what was needed.

• We gathered supplies separately before meeting- I got wooden clippings (for the polaroids) and Shir bought a cake (for the tea party), the little details make the set a lot more believable and brings the character of the murderer to life.

• I arrived at Shir's house (where the set is) and we made sure everything was ready for when the actors came- Shir added more items such as barbie dolls and candles which gave the set made the set look definitely more eerie. Since I was the one who bought most of the blythe dolls, we also dressed them up and placed them all over the room.

• The actors arrived shortly after, for the killer's desk (where he hangs up photos of his victims), we photographed Tanya, April and Gale in their normal clothing around the house doing mundane things such as going to the car, walking, sitting, talking with friends and creepier shots such as sleeping and looking worried/paranoid, pointing at the camera or looking directly into the camera.

• While Shir dealt with printing out the photos we took and cutting them out, I got the actors ready. We needed fake blood so I made a concoction of corn starch, water, and red food colouring (goes on their dresses and face). I used makeup to give the actors the appearance of being dead for a while (pale face/ hollow cheeks/ bruises).

• We then filmed from about 1-2pm to around 6pm, since we already had the storyboard, the process of filming went by quite fast and it really helped us out with the organising which scene came up first. We changed a few things from our storyboard if it didn't fit or if an alternative way looked better.

• Right after everyone else left, Shir and I immediately started the editing process.

Here's a video I made of the BTS of filming Project AM.

Production Planning Week :)

Day 1: Monday
After buying more props, Shir and I definitely have a much clearer idea of what the actors are going to look like and how we plan to decorate the set. During the lesson, I drew how I want the actors to look like, this includes where the blood will go on their clothing, their make-up and hairstyle and the specific props that I will need to bring (polaroids, string, tea set etc.)
 Since the dead girls will have blood on them, I searched up a fake blood recipe and found one that wouldn't make too much of a mess. (I have tried making fake blood before with chocolate sauce, it was time-consuming, made a big mess, and felt unpleasant on my skin for the whole day- however it looked real). Hopefully, this recipe will look as good as I am not entirely sure cornstarch will make our concoction have the consistency of real blood.

Day 2: Tuesday:

Today, I wanted to make a final presentation to wrap up all of the ideas we have so far.

Here is the presentation:

Day 3: Thursday

After confirming with all of our actors, I created a group chat where we discussed the times and how some could carpool with others. The actors also asked for a more detailed plot, which I said I would explain to them (show them the storyboard etc. on Friday)

+++ Special thanks to our actors! Rute, Tanya, April and Gale :)

Day 4: Friday

Mr.Harrison gave us the camera (which he made us promise to treat with extra caution) to bring back to film over the weekend. In today's lesson, Shir and I decided to go hunt for some props from the Drama department (we still needed some items such as ropes and strings), however we couldn't find anything. We also tried out the camera in the darkest room that we could find in the building (our set will be really dark, and graininess is our main concern in terms of the camerawork). We played around with the camera and even tried out some shots with the dolls that we had in our lockers (this really gave us a head start for filming day). While messing around, we came across an effect option which we thought looked really nice- the filter makes the people in the shot look really pale while brings our dark colours such as their eyes (which makes them look ten times more creepy). 

After school, I took photos of some of my friends to test out, we initially were a bit worried about committing to a filter for the whole opening sequence (could go wrong and all the footage would not be usable) but after testing it out, we were pretty confident with the filter. Looking back, I think we made a really good decision.

Here is a photo I took of my friend using the filter:

Later in the night, Shir decorated the set (the location where we're filming is her house)

Some of the messages are in Thai so I translated them here:
Shir: Are we using barbies?
Pie: Yes if you have them, by the way I don't think we should use fake lashes because they might be sensitive. I couldn't get the clippings at the store so maybe we can think of another way like           pinning it or something.
Shir: Ok sure. Do you have a string? I got the super glue and blue tac but there were no kettles.
Pie: I'll bring the kettle.
Shir: Okay, the ceiling has this wooden plank where we can hang a string from but I don't know what to use it for. I need picture to hang around the room?
Pie: Just get anything.
Shir: *Sends picture*
Pie: Would that be too 'in your face'? I don't know... but if it looks good then use it.
Pie: By the way, can we send me the photo of the set, I thought we were going to do it together tomorrow but if you already did then thats good.
 Shir: Ohh... I still need your taste for a lot of stuff. Here it is but it's not finished though *Sends photos*
Pie: Woahh! Nice, you should but that on your blog
Shir: Later. Do you have the string for the polaroid scene?
Pie: Nope
Shir: We can use tape instead of clippings
Pie: I can go some of the things tomorrow
Shir: I don't have the rope, I will try tomorrow as well.