Dark Nightmare (Opening sequence)

Evaluation question 7

Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

 When we had done the preliminary project we had learned how to do the 180 degree rule. This was done to ensure when we filmed our opening sequence we had known what angle to keep the camera and to ensure we knew which side to film from and how to cross over to film on the other side. We had done practice shots of shot/reverse shot. This helped me learn that we have to film the whole project twice in order for the film product to look professional. This was don’t to ensure there were no jump cuts in the middle of a conversation.

We also learned how to keep the camera focused when we did a close up. This was essential as we had chosen to do various close ups for out opening sequence therefore I found this very useful. Also by doing the preliminary project we learned that when a dialogue was said it had to be said clearly and loudly even though we could do a voice over later on.

Evaluation question 6

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of construction this product?

Benefits of using technology are that it helps to build skills as it helps the user improve in the way they use the software. It also helps them get use to the software and be aware of all the various different things that can be done.  The use of different technology helps visualise ideas and developing the visions we had for our project. This also helped aesthetic of our opening sequence.

While I was doing research and planning I used various software’s and different was in to present the various information I had collected. This was done to ensure all the information that was collected as easy to view and understand. The softwares that I had used was all new for me therefore the more I used it the more I found it easy to use and I had earned new thing that could be done on the different applications. All the different  application were not at the same level as certain software’s such as the adobe premier pro , adobe Photoshop  and prezi took more time to learn how to use it as it is a much complicated  designed application software . the various  technology I had used to present my research and planning in ways such as Powtoon, Blogger , Prezi , YouTube , Pictochart , Slideshare , Emazi,  Video , MAC computer , adobe premier pro  and adobe Photoshop

I learned to use a DSLR camera much confidently and also learned how to frame each shots in a different was in order for the shots to be more affective and also to ensure the scene we film fits exactly into our genre. We had used a go pro to put in place a small scene where a glass drops from a high level to the ground showing the glass smashing to the ground. Even though we had captured the scene looked very affective we decided to take it out of our opening sequences as we thought we had too much going on.  We also used a tripod to ensure that our scene was filmed in focus and to ensure the camera was not shaking as this would have been unprofessional.

During editing we used mainly two software to bring our opening sequence to a finished and polished product. This was Adobe premiere pro and Adobe Photoshop. When we started to Adobe Premiere Pro at the start we was not confidant as we did know how to make the idea in our head come to live on the screen. We was unsure of how to do certain transition but however the research we had done at the start helped us massively in to work out how to use the software. We found that it was easier to do the titles on Adobe Photoshop as Adobe premiere pro could not make the titles in how we exactly wanted it. Therefore by using Adobe Photoshop we managed to get design all the titles in how we had vision it. The titles turned out to much better then what we had planned. However after we had done our titles on Adobe Photoshop we had imported them onto Adobe premiere pro and we had made the titles to flicker and this made our opening sequence very affective. The storyboard we did at the start during our planning and research helped us put our opening sequence together.

Evaluation question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Evaluation Question 3

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Nightmare On Elm Street

Nightmare On Elm Street contains a group of characters who are friends, however the main character of the group is Nancy Thompson.
This character experiences nightmares and is affected in her real life by them. This is very similar to our main character in "Dark Nightmare" called Fai as she has nightmares and wakes up with real injuries. However, unlike Fai, her friends also experience the same nightmares and consequences.
Nancy Thompson is an overall normal 16 year old girl. This is unlike Fai as she is 8 year older and therefore is a more mature person. Nancy is also a relatively smart person as she tries to fix the situation she is in during the film in different attempts. This is unlike our main character as she is 8 year older and therefore is a more mature and logical person. 

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre contains a group of characters. In this group is included Sally Hardesty, an ordinary young woman from a rural background. This is similar to our main character in our film as she is also an ordinary woman.
Sally is set apart from the other characters as she is the only survivor by the end of the film. This is similar to our main character is "Dark  Nightmare" called Fai as she is set apart from the group since she is the only one having disturbing nightmares.
In a way, Sally is the character which suffers most emotionally during the film as she watches her sibling get murdered in front of her eyes and has none of her friends from the group with her for support. Her fear and stress therefore increases as the film goes on. Our main character is "Dark Nightmare" is victim of similar emotions as the people close to her die one after the other, building her fear and panic every time another person dies.   

Final Destination 2

The Final Destination 2and Dark Nightmare is very similar. In the story there is comparison where the main character has a dream/ vision of what is going to happen in the future. She tries to stop it from happening and she tries to protect her friends but however she realises that no one can escape from death. In Dark nightmare it is a similar story where the main character (Fai) has a dream about how however group of friends are going to die and she is very disturbed about there’s dreams as she has been having them every day. She gets scared and depressed in how she is going to lose her loved ones. The thing Fai is frightened about is how she wakes up with scars of what happens to her in the dream.

Our chosen main character for Dark Nightmare looks similar to Kimberly Corman (main character in Final Destination 2).they both have brown hair, pale smooth faces and both casual dressers. Fai is very emotionally attached to her friends especially her boyfriend where in this case it is also the same case in Final Destination 2.

 

Evaluation question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My media product uses a lot conventions of real media. This was done in various ways such as titles, production company logos, soundtrack, and the shots we had used. However the mise-en scene we used helped our opening sequence look more professional and had a bigger compression to the conventions of a real media products.

The uses of low-key lighting makes our opening sequences effective as it fits our genre. The low key lighting used gives the dark affect to the horror genre we had chosen. The high key lighting used in some of our scenes helped to change the mood of the audience where there was a compression in where she had the nightmare to when she woke up and the setting was bright with lots of lighting. This gave a chance for the audience to ‘catch their breath’ in what the audience experience and view in the begging (the nightmare).

v

A long take is used as the first shot in my group's opening sequence. This shot was created for a number of reasons; firstly, it creates a sound bridge from the titles to this shot as the sound is suited to both. Secondly, it allows the audience to focus on the voice over which plays during the shot; they are not distracted by other images and can watch the rest of the opening sequence while remembering the ideas of the voice over.

Thirdly, it creates tension as the conventional use and this is suited to our opening sequence as it is a horror genre. In the opening sequence, the use of makeup and costume is important to realise the atmosphere of the nightmare. White clothes are used as it is often associated with the horror genre, and this makes it clearer for the audience to pick up on the genre of the media product.   

Dark Nightmare

The new Production Logo

 we decided to change the production logo as we though the first one we came up was lacking a lot of things and also it did not look professional. and it did not fit in with our opening sequence. therefore we decided to combine all of our ideas' to create a new  production logo. we though this was simple  but affective.

Dark Nightmare class feedback

Darknightmare first draft

Character Development

This is the initial characters Shannon and I came up with . After we refined our story and the feedback we received from the target audience we decided to change the name of the main character . Also we decided to add more characters into the story as the audience said  they would want to see more characters in the story. After all the various  feedback we received we decided to do another character development.

 

Make up and props used during shots 3,4, 12a,12b and 13

Experiment

after we had completed our first scheduled filming of the last scenes. we decided to experiment about the various ways we can make burses' and cuts for our next scene. this was all done by me using only paint and tissue. I used colours such as red, orange, black , brown and brown. I tried to come up with something that looked realistic and that is what I ended up with. doing this helped us see all the various ways we could make our character  look and what mise-en scene we could use to make them fit our genre.

Equipment bookings

After creating our group's shooting schedule, we sent an e-mail to book the needed equipment. This help ensure that we would have all the equipment needed on the dates we want. Sending one e-mail with all of our dates also ensured that we do not forget to book equipment later on. 

Shooting schedule

location

 

 

Animatic improvement

casting

Storyboard

 This is the story board we came up with for our opening sequence.this shows our basic line of what happens in the opening sequence. we did this to ensure we knew what we was doing when we had to film  our oping sequence. Doing this  made us think about what ideas where suitable for the storyline. this also made us see that why some of the ideas the group member came up with will not work.

Order of titles and names

Class feedback

The audience thought that our sound used at the end of the opening sequence, a child singing voice, was used well. They also pointed out that there was a sound placed in the wrong place, and this was fixed when we improved our animation.

The audience thought that the camera shots were unclear and hard to understand. Their favourite shot was the close up of the girl's face. They also thought that we did not have a good variation; we used many close ups.

The audience thought that the pace was too slow for the running scene. They thought we should make the transitions quicker. They thought that the titles between the knife and the crow should either be expanded or shortened.

The audience did not understand the scene of the running man with the cross over of the clock and why it was repeated several times. The audience clearly understood that the opening sequence was a dream. they likes the ending, especially the title and sound - child singing. 

Opening sequence possible sound effects

Planning the animatic

Prop and Costume List

Item	Where will it be used? Which shots?	Source (Where will I get it?)
ID CARDS	On the road ,shot number 2	School ID from the actors.
car	On the road , shot number 2	Ms Saunders
Clock	On the wall,   shot number 5,7,9	school
glass	Dropping , shot number 10	home
knife	In Shannon’s hand, then she will be dropping the knife on the ground o n shot number 11 & 12	Food tech
Alarm clock	On the side table , shot number  17	Morgan’s house
Fake blood	On the hand ,cloths ,ID and knife  Shot  number 2,11,14 ,15,18	Tesco
Make up	Shot number 1, 15,16,18	Gabie’s

Item	Where will it be used? Which shots?	Source (Where will I get it?)
Blue Jeans	4, 6, 8, 15	Morgan’s House
White Shirt	4, 6, 8, 15	Morgan’s House
Tie	4, 6, 8, 15	Morgan’s House
Smart Shoes	4, 6, 8, 15	Morgan’s House
White Dress	15, 16	Gabie’s House
Pyjamas	17, 18	Topshop, Primark, BHS Etc.