Risk Assessment:

Questionnaire:

Media Questionnaire:

1.     Do you understand the plot of the film?

2.     What do you think the genre of the film is?

3.     What age rating would you assume the film is?

4.     What is your favourite genre of film?

5.     Would you go to see the film?

6.     What is your favourite part of the plot?

7.     Is there anything you would add or change to the plot?

List of tricky shots.

List of tricky shots and effects.


The green screen shot of the news report will be tricky as it is a shot we have never produced before. We also think it will be challenging for us to act in a scene lacking props and an environment.

In addition to this the fight sequence will be tricky as it's quite difficult to achieve proper speed and tension when we are not trained actors. The shot is quite difficult as we discovered in our practice run. .

To fix the issue we have conducted research and found an instructional video to help when shooting. 

How to make fake blood:

In order to create a realistic death or fight scene fake blood is needed. This is especially true for our chosen genre of film which is a classic 'Zombie' horror. However instead of spending money at the shops it can be easily made at home.

You will need:

• Water
• Golden Syrup
• Red, blue and green food colouring
• Flour / Cornstarch

Making the fake blood:

1. Mix 1 part water to 3 parts golden syrup.
2. Add drops of red food colouring and gradually mix the substance.
3. Add a few drops of the blue and green food colouring until you get your desired realistic shade.
4. Add your thickener to the liquid such as flour or cornstarch.
5. Let the mix sit for around 10 minutes in a warm environment, this will allow it to thicken.

 (add video here)

Analysis into the first 10 minutes of a similar film: 28 Days Later

'28 Days Later' directed by Danny Boyle and released in 2002 describes the story of protagonist Jim on his journey of survival through post-apocalyptic Britain. After a 'rage virus' is released and spread through Britain infecting people and changing them into 'zombies' Jim wakes from a coma and meets several hopeful and pessimistic characters. The horror film follows a theme of science gone wrong and rage- an inner monster. Similarly to our film it has a sub-genre of Zombie's.

The clip begins with many handheld shots showing scenes of violence. The handheld shots are shaky and appear chaotic. The shots also keep the audience on edge as their eyes are darting across the screen. The high number of these shots also show how violence is wide spread throughout the country. Many of the shots shown came from the London riots, this therefore fits the theme of social rage. In addition to this it is implied that media is the reason for wide spread anger. This is due to the fact that it is the news clips shown on the screen which causes the monkeys to be angry and feel enraged.

The camera then dollys out to a high angle shot. It shows a monkey strapped to a bed in a lab setting, being forced to watch the clips of violence. The high angle shot conveys that the monkey is inferior in its trapped state. The deep space of the shot also shows how isolated the monkey is within the room. Low key lighting is also used to give the shot a mysterious, edgy feel therefore making the audience wonder what will happen next.

A cantered angle is then used. This creates disorientation for the audience and matches their confusion on who the masked figures are. A mask is used on the characters to produce a sense of fear and allows the audience to question who they are and whether or not they're dangerous. The character within the shot is an animal rights activist. Shown within the shot is a cage which although in shallow depth of field, covers the activist. This represents how they are trapped within their point of view. They are on a mission to end animal testing and are trapped within their morale crusade, just how animals are trapped within a cage. Throughout the shot there are sounds of banging cages and screeches from the monkeys, this foreshadows that violence will follow.

Extreme close ups of the activists eyes are shown next. This appears threatening and heightens the tension within the scene. Again the activists are shown trapped behind glass. This symbolises how they are trapped within their views.

A wide shot of the activists entering the room and removing their masks is now used. This shot involves the use of dark dull colours and low key lighting which displays the fear of the unknown. Within the shot we see a lab setting which supports horror conventions as well as iconography of blood and medical appliances.

A medium shot of an activist is shown using chiaroscuro, this gives the effect of a silhouette and therefore heightens the tension within the scene. He is shown holding the prop of a camera and takes photographs of the caged monkeys. A straight cut then shows a flash and an image of a highly aggressive monkey. Sounds of screeching and banging are heard implying that the monkey is feeling overpowering rage, warning the activists to stay away however they do not comply.

An establishing shot of the lab shows several cages filled with monkeys used for animal testing. This conveys the the cruel side of human nature. The shot is at a high angle to display how the animals and activists are inferior to the virus, there is no escape from it. The close-ups that follow show several caged monkeys and set the scene for the audience.

The camera then pans to a mid shot of a scientist who watches the break in. Following this shot the pace of the clip fastens heightening tension. Shots are displayed on screen for under 3 seconds. The activists chase the man and prevent him from calling for help.

The scientist tries to reason with the activist, and warn them that the monkeys are infected with 'rage'. However they don't take him seriously and react angrily. This is shown through several fast paced close ups which display angry facial expressions. The use of chiaroscuro lighting and contrast between dark and light puts emphasis on the sinister feel of the scene and heightens the tension. In addition to this the fast pace of the shots builds a tense atmosphere and leaves the audience expectant of violence. Low, foreboding music is used to build suspense.

The activists ignore warnings and continue opening the cages.

A point of view shot follows, this involves the audience and causes the woman to look inferior. She is shown looking isolated within the shot contributing to the fact she is inferior and in danger. The high pitch sound of screeches from the monkey heightens the suspense within the scene and signifies danger and violence.

The monkey proceeds to attack the woman during a jumpscare, as warned by the scientists. The shots which follow involve extremely fast paced editing. Strobe lighting is used which adds an element of disorientation, the audience is left unknowing to where the next attack will be coming from. A red light is also used, the colour red holds connotations of rage and danger a common theme throughout the film. Several close ups are used to show the fear within the characters eyes. 

During the fast paced shots there is an iconography of blood. This creates a visceral response from the audience as they feel disgusted. The blood holds connotations of death and violence, matching the actions shown within the clip.

Ending the clip an extreme close up of the woman's eyes is shown. Contacts as well as make up is used to convey the woman's change from human to an enraged 'zombie'. The eyes are shown to be the colour red. As previously mentioned red has connotations of rage, therefore fitting the theme of the horror genre film. The extreme close up of the eyes also appears threatening to the audience heightening the fear factor of the clip. A high pitched scream accompanies the already low suspenseful music shocking the audience and causing them to feel fearful.

Character profiles - News reporter

 

Character Profile

Name;Unknown,uses title 'news reporter'

Age;28

Occupation; News reporter

Aesthetics;The news reporter is a female who stands at 5.5ft tall.She has mid length hair and green eyes.Her makeup is minimal yet perfect.She dresses in the generic formal white shirt with a suit like jacket and is very well presented.

Personality;The news reporter is a confident, empathetic speaker who really reinforces the urgency of her message about 'zebola'.She is incredibly professional whilst working and remains composed.

What role does the character play in our film?

This character allows us to introduce the story in a creative and efficient way.This also shows the view of the virus from the perspective of the media.More over, in real life a virus epidemic would be reported about on the news,this reflection of reality helps us create verisimilitude in the film.

Character profiles - Zombie

Character Profile

Name;Unknown,uses title 'Zombie'

Age;20

Occupation; Unknown

Aesthetics;The zombie character is a male who stands at 6 ft tall.With a bloodied face any facial features are recognizable,his blonde hair is matted with blood and dirt.His clothes are torn.

 Personality;The zombie is vacant of all expression and conforms to the generic conventions of           zombie like behavior;Grunting,walking slowly,dragging there legs behind him ect.

 What role does the character play in our film?

 This will help portray the idea and effects of the virus,which intern helps the audience understand      the plot further.

Character profiles - Danny

 

Character Profile

Name; Danny

Age;17

Occupation; Studying (second year of college)

Aesthetics ;Danny stands at 6 ft tall,with dark brown hair and brown eyes.As a result of working out twice a day he has a muscular body.He stays on trend regarding fashion and always has the newest must have item of clothing.

Personality;Danny is the boyfriend of Melissa.He is childishly nonchalant about all aspects of life;work,money and responsibility.Despite this careless attitude to important elements of life,he is consumed by the way that he looks and how he is thought off,he is insistent in looking and being masculine.

What role does the character play in our film?

Danny's masculine nature is one of the contributing factors of why Melissa Jane relies on him so much.This character allows us to demonstrate how the virus grows as a result he plays an integral part of this film.He is the first character to die in the film,allowing us to set an atmosphere of panic and terror.

Character Profiles - Melissa Jane

Character Profile
Name; Melissa Jane

Age;17

Occupation; Studying (second year of college)

Aesthetics ; Melissa is a white female,who stands at 5.7 ft tall.She has blue eyes and long brown hair.She stays on trend when choosing her clothes,and always has immaculate makeup and hair.

Personality;Our female character is a hopeless romantic at heart.As a result she idolises her boyfriend Danny and is totally dependent on him.Melissa has very little confidence in herself,and is portrayed as vulnerable.This overly paranoid woman is very gullible and trusting in what people tell her.

What role does the character play in our film?

Melissa represents the typical insecure and nervous character that helps the film conform to the genre conventions of a zombie horror.In order to include this type  of character in our plot,we have made her the girlfriend.Throughout the course of the film Melissa Jane is killed,this again conforms to the genre conventions of this type of film.

Potential production company logo

Research into title sequences

Research into title sequences

28 Days Later
In this title sequence we see the outbreak start and how it evolves into a full blown disease that quickly takes down the country, it shows patient zero been infected and how the infection spreads through London and other places, turning them into factories that are constantly pumping out hordes of re-animated corpses filled with the deadly rage virus. It then shows the protagonist in a hospital gown, he's carrying a plastic bag with food in and he looks dazed and confused, he wanders the streets of post apocalyptic London while images are played parallel to what he is doing.

The title also starts of by showing us parts of the first scene which is when the animal activists break into the research facility and one of the activists gets bitten although we do not see her infect the rest of the activists with the rage virus we do see how the virus actually spreads.

The music that is playing is both correct for the theme of the zombie film and it creates a foreboding and hostile atmosphere for the viewer. it has also been used to create the same effect in many other films such as one of the scenes in Kickass big daddy and kickass are about to be publicly executed.
The name of the this particular piece of music is In A Heartbeat by John Murphy.

Research into title sequences.

 Title sequences.


For my analysis into similar intro sequence/film I have chosen to look at Dawn of the Dead, which is a story about a rag tag group of apocalypse survivors that take refuge in a huge shopping mall in America.

Intro

Dawn of the dead utilises a montage of seeming random news clips from around the world with what appears a government figure answering questions directly related to the film. The shots feature reduced quality and fuzziness to add to the apocalyptic feel the film is aiming to give off. The music is Johnny Cash who is renown for covering grim aspects of life which also adds to the dire situation the world seems to be in. During the intro there is a use of red text which has connotations of blood and danger which foreshadows the film.

Script:

Script

Click here for script.

Location Research

Location Research

we have chosen to film in three different location for our film, these will each take up the three key parts of the film; the news broadcast, the zombie fight scene and the dialogue between the male and female characters.
we have chosen these three locations because they are local, practically risk free and we already have permission for both of the sites.

Location 1 
For our first location we are going to film at April's house, this is where we will film most of the 3 minutes. we will film the dialogue between the two characters, the infected pulling the man into the garden and the woman watching the news broadcast. We have taken photos of the location and they are displayed below.

Location 2 
For our second location we will again be using April's house but we will be filming in the back garden, the segment we are filming will be the fight scene between the male character and the zombie. we have also shown the places where the two characters will scrap and the props that will be fatted within the scene.

Location 3
For our third location we are going to film in the green screen room at barnsley college, this will allow us to film the news segment that the female character will watch. we will place the character in the middle of the room and then film the fake news report, we chose college to do this because its local and easy to get the permission to do it. we have amen photos below and have also included the news setup we will be using.

Prop/ Costume list.

Props:
Fake leg
Fake blood














Liquid latex
News glasses

News paraphernalia:
Desk
Paper
Green screen
Chair
News mug







Costume:

News suit
Typical teenage boy, hoodie jeans.

Typical girly lounge wear.
Ripped shirt, tatty jeans vans novelty hat (zombie).

Similar film analysis

Analysis into the first 10 minutes of a similar film

ZombieLand:

In the first 15 minutes of this film we have a couple of key things, the first of which is an introduction into the post apocalyptic world that is now america. In this introduction we don't see any of the main characters but we do get a narration by jesse eisenberg to help us figure out what's going on, he tells us some key rules to survive in zombieland.
The key rules are;
Dont be stingy with bullets. This is followed by a shot of a woman who has just killed a zombie as it ran at her, she then tries to walk away but the walker is not dead and grabs at her ankle biting at her ankle. Then this is quickly followed up by the rather comedic line of "one more bullet and she could have avoided becoming a human happy meal".
Cardio. This is followed by a short take of a fat guy running across a football pitch while being chased by a zombie, the man then trips and is torn apart by the zombie.
Beware of bathrooms. this is quickly followed by a character in a toilet stall reading a newspaper, as he calls out to whoever is in the toilets for some privacy a zombie crawls under the stall and bites his legs. it then cuts to a mid shot of the blood from said character being spread across the floor of the toilets.
wear your seatbelt, this is in silver writing and edited into the movie post filming. After a woman escapes a horde of dress wearing little zombies, she tries to set off down the road only to be stopped when she slams into the side of a large truck sending her through the windscreen and onto the road.
We then see the main protagonist at the gas station, he gets out of his car after filling it with gas and walks over to the toilets at the side of the gas station

ZombieLand Acting:
the acting in the first ten minutes is really quite good as we see a world that has slowly gone from bad to so much worse, people can be seen running away while jesse eisenberg narrates the catastrophic events that has brought america to its knees. The actors are really good as they show what looks to be genuine fear, the fat man is especially good at this as as he looks terrified while the zombie chases him across the pitch. Jesse eisenberg is also quite good at acting when he unlocks his door for his neighbour, his conversation seems quite real and not really wooden, this is also the case when he meets tallahassee.

ZombieLand Editing
ZombieLand has a specific style of post production editing that works really well and although most of it is writing, it doesn't feel like a chore to read headlines or small comedic lines that are in the scene. They are also particularly useful as they help the audience get more involved in the storyline of the film, like when jesse tells us his rules for survival we can analyse the character is a scared survivalist.

Research into title sequences

In order to achieve a successful title sequence with lures the audience into watching more we must research other title sequences and discover what makes them so great.

Staying within the genre of horror I looked at two title sequences, one from a film and one a game.

Se7en:

Se7en's title sequence contained several unnerving images artfully packed into a 2 minute sequence which certainly left me on edge. Each image hints to parts of the film so the audience knows what to look forward to and the images also indicate the genre of the film. The sequence uses mostly neutral colours other than the common appearance of red. Red holds many connotations such as danger and is also the colour of blood. This indicates to the audience that something thrilling and dangerous occurs during the film.

This inspires me for my own title sequence as I think it would be a good idea to have a completely 

black and white theme other than the colour red. This is because it will build tension within the sequence and signify to the audience that during the film blood will be shed.

The Last of Us:

Although The Last of Us title sequence is used to introduce viewers to a game its simplicity of introducing a Zombie sub genre is rather inspiring. Although it is only a minute long it is extremely successful in creating mystery and allowing the viewer to wonder more about the story line.

I especially liked the use of voice over within the clip and would like to involve this within my own title sequence. The voice over involved clips from news reports and announcements which I think would introduce my audience nicely to what the film is about and what has happened since the 'Z-bola' outbreak, therefore setting the scene rather nicely.

Script for the 'News Report' scene:

The scene takes place during the day in a 'news room', this includes a desk and desk chair with a green screen background, a news room setting will be placed within the scene during post production. The news reporter will be wearing a costume of a smart blouse to give the appearance of a professional reporter. The report is live and its intentions are to warn the public of the new 'Z-bola' outbreak.

Reporter:

Rumours can now be confirmed that a new virus titled 'Z-bola' by specialists is rapidly spreading through the country. It is currently unknown how the disease is spreading however specialists can confirm that in order to prevent spreading you the public must stay indoors. Do not go outside, lock your doors and windows. The unfortunate victims of the 'Z-bola' virus have been described as violent, crazy and non human. The victims are murderous and we are informing you to not sympathise, they will kill you. 

Individual analysis of a title sequence, 'The Conjuring'.

Whilst researching into what makes a good horror title sequence I came across 'The Conjuring' title sequence created by Aaron Becker. In order to represent the genre of the film and introduce the characters a good horror title sequence must have a sinister feel and hint at key elements of the film as well as keeping some parts a mystery to ensure the audience are interested in what will happen.

The conjuring title sequence, which can be viewed here, does this successfully.

Throughout the sequence old photographs are shown such as above. These old, rustic looking photographs imply that the film is set in the past and that something monumental had occurred. This therefore interests the audience as they question what happened in the past and who the characters shown in the images are.

In addition to this iconography is used. The example shown above shows an isolated old house. This holds connotations of fear and horror as many peoples primal fears are being alone. In addition to this the image is of a house which normally holds the connotations of being safe, however the dark overlay on the image displays a sinister feel to the audience, that something dark and  haunting is attached to this house. The trees and bushes surrounding the house also signifies a feeling of entrapment involved with the house therefore implying to the audience that something terrible will occur here during the film.

The title sequence also involves several worn newspaper clippings. These allow the audience to question whether the films story is associated with real life events therefore making them feel scared and intrigued. The titles of the articles and images featured also indicate future parts of the film, making the audience want answers and continue watching past the title sequence. For example here 'Ritualistic Sacrifices Plague Small Town' is shown in bold here, this directs the audiences eyes to the title and the words shown creates a sinister feel and puts the audience on edge.

 

As previously mentioned iconography is used within the clip, here a graveyard is shown. Grave stones obviously symbolise death which implies to the audience that death will be a key theme throughout the film. 

We are now shown the image of a creepy, sinister looking doll. It is shown on its own in focus with no words on the screen. This implies to the audience that the doll is a key part of the film. Its worn and beaten appearance connotes a sinister feeling and implies that this doll is not a regular doll, it is 'evil'. 

The title sequence finishes on this image. The image shows a house which is isolated. This is a common theme in horror films as it holds the connotation of being alone and unsafe no matter where you are, even in the comfort of your own home. In addition to this dead spindly trees surround the house and as previously mentioned this implies a feeling of entrapment which is also a common fear for many people, therefore implying to the audience that something terrible occurs within the house which cannot be escaped. Finally the establishing shot of the house also shows a noose hanging from a tree. The noose has a further meaning and conveys to the audience that a suicide had occurred at the house therefore implying that the film is a paranormal horror. 

Throughout the clip non-diegetic sound is used. Dramatic music with low tones and screeches are used to  build tension within the title sequence. The music used can also be described as very unnerving therefore putting the audience on edge.

The main title sequence involved the filming of a Eiki Still Picture Projecter, as shown above, often used within classrooms in the 70's. This therefore conveyed the era of the film to the audience. The pacing of the shots on the projector were rather slow, this allowed the viewer to absorb the information but also created tension throughout the sequence, perfectly matching the non-diegetic music. 

From researching into this title sequence and discovering what micro-elements make a title sequence I have decided that the title sequence of our film should also feature the dramatic, screeching music to create tension and a sense of danger. In addition to this I would also like to feature newspaper clippings to give off the sense that something like the Z-bola virus could occur within real life therefore scaring the audience and creating a verisimilitude effect. The news articles featuring within our title sequence will also link nicely with the first few minutes of the film which features a news report. 

Production Company Logo

Production Company Logo

The name of our production company is JAMM Productions, we chose this as our company name because its all our initials put together to make a good name, it not only sounds good but its quite memorable because its short and punchy.

The idea behind the logo was to provide a logo that people could recognise easily, it obviously wouldn't have the notoriety of a massive conglomerate but it would be noticeable.

i created three possible logos for the production company and then we decided as a team to go for number 2 as we thought it looked the best and would be easier for people to recognise, this is because the font is quite bold, the image has a bright background and just looks aesthetically pleasing.


we also asked people what they thought of our three logos, we didn't tell them which one we had chosen just that we had one already. although the vote was not unanimous it was quite revealing and people liked our logo quite a bit

Storyboarding

Storyboarding 

I have drawn up the storyboard for the Zebola idea, i have included 10 key shots that show what we are going to be doing in those shots such as acting and what we will be wearing, where we are shooting from and what we might edit into the film later on.

The first image shows the worried female character, watching television. specifically a news channel, she has a mortified look on her face.

the second image shows just what she is so mortified about, it tells us the symptoms of a new virus called ZEBOLA thats incurable and rapidly heading for the united kingdom with force.

The next shot shows us just what the symptoms of the new virus are; erratic behaviour, paranoia, hunger and last but not least coughing blood before keeling over and dieing. the broadcast warns people to stay inside and to refrain from contacting anyone who you might think has the disease.

the fourth shot shows us the male character returning home from work, he comes through the front door and sets his work items down besides the stairs leaving the door open a bit. he walks over to his wife while taking his suit jacket and his tie off.

In the next shot the man trys to start a conversation with the woman but she cuts him off before he can say anything, she goes on insisting that the virus is heading for them and that she is worried about their safety. he dismisses it by laughing and saying "there is nothing to be afraid of", he walks back over to the door to pick up his things.

The sixth shot shows a zombie appearing at the door, the man gasps before been yanked outside into the front yard. the woman notices the struggle and screams running over to see if he is alright.

In the next shot the male character finishes off the zombie with a killing blow, he opts for the plant pot seen as there is nothing else close enough to beat him with. the zombie stops moving save for a few muscle spasms.

In the next shot his partner asks if he is ok, he just nods simply and says he didn't do much but bite him. it is then that he starts feeling drowsy and starts to sway from side to side. The woman starts to back away realising that the man she loved is no longer there, she tell him to stay back.

The next shot is an extreme close up of the mans eyes slowly glassing over or his pupils dilating, we now see that he has made the change from man to zombie. the gruesome realisation sets in that the couple could not save themselves and are going to die

The final shot is a pan up to the sky where the title ZEBOLA is displayed in blood red letters, as it slowly fades from the title to black we hear the screams of the woman as she meets a bloody end.

Inspiration for the 'Z-bola' virus, April Carr:

The news is currently reporting about the 'Ebola' outbreak.

"Ebola virus disease is a serious illness that originated in Africa, where there is currently an outbreak. But for people living in countries outside Africa, it continues to be a very low threat."

We took inspiration from current affairs to produce a cause for the zombie infestation. Within our film a disease named 'Z-bola' spreads throughout the country however, those who die from the disease come back to life. Our main inspiration came from a conspiracy image which was spread rapidly on social media.

(The image spread on social media)

The audience will be informed of the virus through a faux TV news report. For example the scene will be shot on a green screen and a news area will be displayed afterwards. In addition to this a banner will be placed at the bottom of the screen in post production to give the effect of a real news report, as shown below. The news logo will also be shown so it appears professional and realistic to the audience.

(A BBC news report we are using for inspiration within our film)

Possible film distributor

Possible film distributor

There are numerous film distributors working within the UK;

• 20th Century Fox
• Icon film 
• Universal Pictures UK
• Dogwoof 
• Artificial eye 
• Lionsgate

Some are recognized world wide while others are only know within the UK.The widely recognized distributors tend to work with various genre's of films,where as the UK based distributors tend to specialize in one type of film.

A key part of creating a good film is getting a good,reputable distributor.Without this, all the hard work done before hand is irrelevant; because without the right marketing and promotion it will not reach your audience, which are in fact the people who determine your films success.

As a result we must find a suitable distributor for our film.After researching into various different film distributors,i came to the conclusion that Hammer film productions (British) could be the ideal choice.Founded in 1934 the company has years of experience and longevity which helps us trust the distributor with our film.Having specialized in films within the genre's of horror,science fiction and thrillers,they would be knowledgeable in how to handle and promote our genre of film.When researching further i found that 'Hammer film productions' has even released one of the pioneering British zombie films of that era ; 'The plague of the zombies'.

Moreover the companies success is not only proven in there history,it is also proven in the present,with successful recent releases.For example;

• The Woman in black (2012)
• The Quiet ones (2014)

Again showing that this distributor is reputable and can evolve in order to stay current.