Test Shots - Conversation.

In our trailer, we are hoping to include a small conversation, one a lot shorter than the example in this video. I knew previously that a shot reverse shot is often used to effectively film scenes including conversations, so I decided that it would be wise to practice this method so we can use it in our trailer to make it seem more professional. I asked two volunteers to talk about something while I filmed them from various angles, starting with a two shot including both subjects, then zooming up on each subject's face, then filming over the shoulder of one subject and finally switching to film over the shoulder of the other. Once I had my raw footage, I used iMovie to edit it all together and add music and sound effects. I decided to include a fake conversation sound effect, as the conditions in which I was filming were not quiet enough to pick up any real conversation without interference. I may at a later date ask my volunteers to come back and record over the film with the iMovie narration tool. 

Test Shots.

I have decided that it will be a good idea for me to take some test shots using a video camera and tripod, in order to trial and practice some of the shots that we will hopefully be using for our final trailer. After looking at our storyboard for the shots that we plan to include in our trailer, I decided to try out a conversation scene including a shot-reverse-shot, a scene of someone running shot from different angles including from a high angle and a scene in which post production editing would be needed in order to create a quick zoom effect. I chose to practice these shots in particular as they stood out to me as ones that could be very effective if done properly and I think it is extremely important that we get them right. By practicing these filming methods, I now feel more confident about capturing the same shots for our real trailer and will know exactly what to do when it comes to it, which will save our group valuable time.

Shooting Schedule.

Day 1 of shooting

Shots	Location	Duration	Cast	Props	Description
Shot 1	Woods	20 mins – 3-3:20pm	Trees	No props	Long shot To show audience where the location is
Shot 2	Woods	30 mins 3:20-3:50pm	Michael	No props	Long shot/ Handheld Running from Slenderman
Shot 3	Woods	2 hours 3:50-5:50pm	Taylor (final girl)	No props	Zoom shot Her running away
Shot 4	Woods	20 mins 5:50-6:10pm	Diegetic noises	Vocals
Shot 5	Woods	20 mins 6:10-6:30pm	Slenderman	Suit, mask	Long shot/Extreme Long Shot Him waiting and stalking

Prelim feedback.

On the completion of our prelim trailer, we showed our teacher and asked her to give us some feedback, in order for us to know what we need to do to create an even better real trailer. This is what she came back with:

• The trailer looks professional and polished - good first attempt. 
• You have kept it basic and simple, focusing on the key aspects that make the trailer scary for the audience. 
• Try and remember that the fewer people you include in your trailer, the better, as this means less people to have to introduce and explain, which can be very confusing for the audience. 
• Film more while you are out filming so you have more footage to work with when it comes to editing - always shoot more footage than you need.
• Include more shots in your footage, such as extreme close ups for dramatic effect and also take the same shot several times from different angles so you can cut between them for a more professional look.  
• Include more natural sound, rather than just effects. You could have used real breathing during the running scenes in your trailer, which would have been much more effective. 

Receiving this feedback means we now know exactly what we need to do in order to improve our skills and make our horror trailer as professional as possible. 

Prelim Trailer.

Our group has produced a prelim trailer in order to practice using the equipment needed to shoot our real trailer and also production and editing techniques. We decided to make a parody of our own narrative so we could get an idea of what shots we might use in our real trailer, without having to make it too serious. We tried to include as many different shots as we could in our trailer, including:

• Long shot
• Extreme long shot
• Close up
• Mid shot
• Handheld

We also tried to experiment with camera angles, for example, at one point, the camera is angled upwards at the villain, giving the impression that the victim has fallen to the ground. This gives the villain a very dominating presence and makes it scary for the audience to watch as it emphasises the victims vulnerability. 

By experimenting with shots and angles, we have learned what works well and what does not, which will make choosing what shots to include in our storyboard much easier. It will be vital for us to use a variety of shots in order for us to maintain the interest of our audience for the duration of our real trailer, so this task has given us a great opportunity to try and test several of them. 

After shooting all of the footage we needed, we then edited it using the program iMovie. On here we could cut our footage and add effects, such as fast and slow motion, which is featured quite a lot in our trailer, zooms and titles.  We were also able to add non-diegetic sound, such as music and sound effects. We chose to feature a heartbeat sound effect, as it creates the impression of fear and works well with the shots of the victim running. We also added psycho strings at the end as the camera quickly zooms in on the villains face. The contrast between the quiet, ominous heartbeat and the sudden screeching of the psycho strings creates a real shock factor for the audience. 

Although making this trailer was good practice and a decent start, there is a lot we can learn from it and that we can improve to make our real trailer as professional as possible. Some examples of this are:

• The font used for titles - The fonts we have used are not the kind of fonts that would be associated with Horror and make the trailer seem quite amateur. In our real trailer, we must ensure that we use professional looking fonts in order to create the desired impact. 
• Take much more footage - When we went to edit our prelim trailer, we realised we did not actually have much footage to work with. When we are working on our real trailer, we must make sure we have lost of footage to work with, as it is better to have too much that we can cut out than not enough. 
• We must remember to add details - Small details such as copyright notices and company logos will make the difference between our trailer looking professional or amateur. We have forgotten to put any of these details into our prelim trailer, so must include them in the real thing. 

Here is the finished product.

Horror film narrative.

This is the narrative of our film that we will take ideas from to condense into a trailer.

The film will be called 'Slenderman' and is based around an urban myth of a creature of the same name. The film is set in the present day; however, it will be based on a home film that was recorded 60 years ago which was owned by the recorder, Margaret. She had passed away recently and her house had been abandoned. A group of 4 teenagers decided to break into the house at night for fun and discovered the home video in the attic. After watching the video, 2 of them were scared of the video. The others were calling them names and said there was nothing to worry about. Then they proceeded to wreck the house.

They all go home. The next time they meet up at the house, one of the teens looks out of the window and sees slender man. None of the others believe him and make fun of him. The teen becomes hysterical so the others lock him out of the house as a joke. He bangs on the door hysterically as the others laugh before suddenly falling silent. The others think he is messing around but when they go to let him in he is nowhere to be found. They come to the conclusion that he must have found another way into the house and is hiding potentially trying to scare them. They split up and look for him in the other rooms, one of the boys, Jeffery, looks out the window and see’s a tall shady black figure underneath the street’s lamp, he is unusually tall and lanky, with extra long hands. Jeffery immediately realises that he just saw slender man and ducks under the window in shock; he then calms himself and looks again. The figure is gone. Jeffery tells the others but once again they do not believe him, thinking he is in on the joke. They soon realise that their friend is genuinely missing and the whole group begins to panic.

They decide that the safest thing to do is get away from the house and return to their own homes. They make their way down their usual route down an alley but are cornered by Slenderman. They run away in the opposite direction, towards the woods, Slenderman’s preferred domain. The leader urges the group on, saying if they can make it through the woods they can escape through the other side. They run from Slenderman but every time they reach the end of a path he is standing waiting for them. All they have to light their way is the light from their phones and these soon stop working leaving them in complete darkness (Slenderman interferes with technology)

The group have no choice but to use matches to keep Slenderman away (he doesn’t like light) but these don’t last very long. The film ends with the group desperately grabbing matches and trying to keep them alight for as long as possible, but they eventually run out and are taken by Slenderman. The audience think that all the teens have been killed but it is revealed at the end that one of them managed to escape as they had a torch in their bag. The screen goes black. Dot of light gets bigger in the distance. It is revealed to be light from the torch of the final girl. Final shot is of her running past the camera.

Slenderman.

My group and I have started to think in detail about the narrative of our horror trailer. We have decided as a collective that we want to make a horror film based around a myth, similar to the Blair Witch Project. This is because the film was a huge success despite its small budget and lack of famous actors and we can easily use similar camera techniques as the ones seen in the film to great effect. We have decided to base our movie on a German myth called 'Slenderman', a tall, faceless man who hunts and abducts those who know of his existence.

The Slenderman myth has become increasingly popular within the media over the last year, with the release of a game and several websites dedicated to it. It is especially popular with teens, which is one of the main reasons we chose to use it, as this is the audience we will be aiming our trailer at.

The Slenderman game is probably the biggest reason for the recent surge in popularity for the myth. The aim of the game is to walk around the woods and collect 8 hidden notes whilst avoiding Slenderman. If he catches you, the game is over. All your character has to help them see in the dark is a lantern, which eventually will go out, increasing the chances of Slenderman catching you. The limited vision coupled with the deep, droning music creates huge tension and the game has become extremely popular due to its fear factor.

Screenshot from the game

Notes from the game

Video of gameplay. 

After researching and watching footage of the game, we have been able to take away a few interesting concepts that we think will make our trailer very effective. 

First of all, light is a big part of the slenderman myth, as it is the one thing that will keep him away. We can play on this in our trailer, using the dark as a tool to create fear. We could possibly use black screens and focus on using music and sounds to create tension.  In the game, the character is given a lantern in order to light their way, which will eventually go out. In our trailer we want to include a similar idea, but instead of a lantern, have our characters use matches, which could be even more effective, as matches go out very quickly. 

This is a documentary that conveys the Slenderman myth as true and presents evidence to prove that he exists. It is yet another internet sensation that has recently hightened interest in the Slenderman myth. The documentary explains Slenderman in great detail which will be very useful for us, as we can derive information from it that will be useful to use in our trailer.