Risk assessment

Potential Risk	Severity	Likelihood	Risk Level	Control Measures
Car accident/ crash	High. Dependant on speeds, roads and weather conditions.	Remote. Shots of driving, moving from first to last scene.	Medium risk. Dark area with possibly hazardous roads.	Pay attention, caution whilst driving, and responsible adult driving.
Car accident/ person hit by car	High. Dependant on speed of car.	Remote. Shots from outside of car.	Low risk. People shouldn’t get in front of the car.	Stay out of cars way whilst filming, responsible adult driving, and lights to see people.
Someone being hit by car boot	Moderate. Dependant on ferocity of closing of boot.	Occasional. Only one scene.	Medium risk. Only happens in one scene.	Caution whilst closing boot, no messing around on set.
Falling off chair	Low. Dependant on height of fall/	Occasional. Only first scene whilst tied to chair.	Medium risk. Could be uneven ground, struggling whilst on chair.	Steady chair, no messing around on set.
Friction burns from dragging	Moderate. Dependant on surface and speed.	Occasional. Only one shot of dragging.	Medium risk. Only one scene, don’t know what the ground will be like on the day of filming.	Use area with softer ground, slow drag.

Risk Assessment-

A risk assessment is an evaluation of all the possibly hazards that could occur to cast and crew during filming. They are used by the production crew of the film/ video but everybody must take it into consideration. They include usual or environment specific risks such as tripping or a car accident. We have risk assessments because they allow people to think about the possible risks and prepare for them. They are used to reduce the risk of injury. This is important as it means recording can go smoother and no cast or crew is injured.

The script

Script

The script is vital for any film. Some of these include:

Communication: The communication between actors and directors is essential for any film, and the most successful ones are where the actors and directors correspond well and know their script. If neither director nor actor knows their script, the final product will not be a success. Overall the script provides the bases of communication on set of a film.

Organization: The script itself if organized will make the filming itself very easy, both for the actors and directors. It will make the film making process a lot clearer and easier. Like the Schedule, the script is vital for organization.

As you can see above, the film script for the Godfather has a clear layout. It is easy to read, clear and organized for both actors and directors alike.  I is impossible to film a film without such as script. There is alot of detail within this example of a script, for example "One feels just for a second he looses all physical strength" this is important for the actors, who by reading the script, would know clearly on what to do. Our script, because of its lack of dialogue will too have alot of detail throughout. 

It is essential that our script includes the things listed above, it is clear in in communication and organization. This is done through the Godfathers script where the layout is clear and its in alot of detail. Also sometimes a "spec" script is written. This is done before the main script is used in the film to give an underling basis to the final film. This then enables directors and screen writers to improve the final script, based on the spec script. The final script is called the "shooting script". Which is seen above with the Godfather. 

A good script writer needs to know how to create imagery through text. The text needs to be clear in what it is stating, clear in its aim and clear in its presentation. However, what is in the script my not be what is in the final film, where bits from the script will be shot, but edited out for time etc...

Overall, the script from the example above needs the characteristics of a good script to make a good film.

Here below is a film script taken from the film alien. This film script like ours lacks diologue, but we can see that it is still in alot of detail and clear in its aim.

FADE IN

        SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE:

        INT. ENGINE ROOM

        Empty, cavernous.

        INT. ENGINE CUBICLE

        Circular, jammed with instruments.
        All of them idle.
        Console chairs for two.
        Empty.

        INT. OILY CORRIDOR - "C" LEVEL

        Long, dark.
        Empty.
        Turbos throbbing.
        No other movement.

        INT. CORRIDOR - "A" LEVEL

        Long, empty.

        INT. INFIRMARY - "A" LEVEL

        Distressed ivory walls.
        All instrumentation at rest.

        INT. CORRIDOR TO BRIDGE - "A" LEVEL

        Black, empty.

        INT. BRIDGE

        Vacant.
        Two space helmets resting on chairs.
        Electrical hum.
        Lights on the helmets begin to signal one another.
        Moments of silence.
        A yellow light goes on.
        Data mind bank in b.g.
        Electronic hum.
        A green light goes on in front of one helmet.
        Electronic pulsing sounds.
        A red light goes on in front of other helmet.
        An electronic conversation ensues.
        Reaches a crescendo.
        Then silence.
        The lights go off, save the yellow.

After looking at this scipt we decided to follow its example since like ours, it lacks diolgue and it too is a horror film.

 Script:

Radio voice over credits

Reports today of another man gone missing near Tamworth. Police are continuing their investigation as the search is on its fourth day. Family and friends are pleading for anyone knowing anything about the suspected Kidnapping of Mr David Wade

A man is alone in his car. Face is hidden. He drives without making any noise. He turns the wheel of the car into what seems to be a farm. He looks slowly out of the car window before opening the door and getting out

He is later seen to open the barn door to what can only be described as a ragged clothed victim who is chained up near the corner of the room

The man who the audience now suspect drags the victim out of the barn, but not before removing the hood over the victims face. The Victim is the later heard pleading for his life as the kidnapper drags the body out and into his car boot.

Victim

Please, please, you don’t have to do this please. I have money. Please!

The man who the audience know now is the kidnapper drags the body and puts him into the boot. The victims face at the point is one of being scared and frightened. The victim, walking slowly, almost casually, still face concealed heads to his car and drives into the distance.

Like the first shot. The man is still calm, and does not speak, instead he listens to the cries and screams and moans coming from the boot.  He does nothing and still heads to a field

The man then later goes from his car, opening the back doors and removing a spade. Again this is all done very slowly and casually. He then opens the boot where the cries and screams from the victim can again be heard. 

Victim

Please, please, you don’t have to do this please. I have money. Please!

Again the kidnapper does nothing but grabs him by the shoulder, whilst carrying the spade, pulls him into the field. The facial expression shown by the victim is again one of fear, whilst the culprit is still unknown.

The Kidnapper throws the victim onto the floor, doing so he also throws the spade onto the floor. At this point the darkness is beginning to come. He removes his mask, revealing a darkened, intimidating looking face. He later says

Kidnapper

                           Dig

The storyboard

The production schedule

This is our production schedule/ This is important to keep track and to keep organised over the course of filming. Many films, especially big budget film have used production schedule in order to stay on track. For example films like Schindler's list was shot in a very short production schedule. A shorter production schedule means as Steven Spielberg said "get the feel for the film". If we can have a short production schedule where the filming is relatively close together and it is done in chronological order we ourselves can get a feel for the flow of the film. If we do it over a longer space of time, and not shoot it in chronological order, the feel when film making will feel disjointed and the overall final product might not be as good if we shot it in a short space of time in chronological order.

Not only that, as said previously it is important to keep on track and be organised being organised when shooting a film. We need to choose dates where all the actors, editors and cameramen are all free, if not the film might not even be completed. So in order to do this, we split up the schedule into three separate stages. Each stage being a day.  This is because each one of our editors and cameramen are free  on different days, so in order to complete the film  we separated the two so to do their jobs on days that they are free to do so.

Actions or jobs needed to be completed	Stage 1/day 1/ Monday	Stage 2/day 2/Tuesday	Stage 3/day 3/Wednesday
Risk Assessment	All possible risks while filming will be assessed and addressed to ensure no injures will occur.
Equipment and Props	Props such as the costumes/clothes and masks will be bought and ready for use of the later days of film making	We will use props and equipment with in second days of film making. The equipment will ready prior this due having already got them on 1/stage 1/Monday we will have collect them.
Test Camera Angles/ Shots	Ideas and test brief will occur on the farm, these test shoots will be vital for the final film.	More ideas and more test briefs will occur these test shoots will be vital for the final film/.
Crew Briefing	Crew briefing will happen so all the cameramen and directors know what they are doing and are prepared for the following days of film making	Cast briefing will happen so all the actors know what they are doing and are prepared for the following day of film making.
Set Up Filming		The equipment will be set up and ready to use for the final film.
Filming Farm		Film shots will be taken place in the farm; this will also be filmed on the same day as car and field
Filming Car		Film shots will be taken in the car; this will also be filmed on the same day as the farm and field.
Filming Field		Film shots will be taken in the field; this will correspond to the filming in the car.
Editing Clips			Edit all footage to 2 min clip in order to keep to the time limit, adding dissolves and fade outs etc…
Editing Effects			Add music and any special effects to the film to make it look a lot more professional.

Filming	Shots	Location
Opening scene TIME 1    -   2:30	Time lapse of clouds – possibly field?	Farm or roads/fields surrounding the farm
Driving scene TIME 3:25-3:40	Over the shoulder shot of character in the car Low angled shot looking up at the driver – camera will be placed on the passenger seat	Surrounding roads of the farm
Barn scene TIME 3:40-4:10	Wide shot/over the shoulder shot of character in barn looking out at a car pulling up. Close up? Shot of Will getting tape pulled off his mouth by Chad and then whimpering Horizontal pan of body getting dragged across the floor	Barn within the farm/outside at the farm
Dragging body scene TIME 4:10-4:20	Aerial Shot looking down at body getting dragged across into the boot Wide shot facing the car boot showing body getting put inside	Farm
Within car scene TIME 4:20-4:30	Over the shoulder shot with sound of fuzzing radio beginning to become louder	Car
Farm/field TIME 4:30-4:45	Wide shot and over the shoulder shot in the field	Field

Pitch

Film ideas

The letter-
This was our first film idea. Its story involved one character who receives a letter  every day, each one getting more shocking and violent. This genre of film is similar to what our final film is. A horror/thriller. As we see the main character receiving each letter we see himself change. He becomes more anxious and nervous. His facial expressions become more frightened, he moves more cautiously. This idea did not seem original and did seem to work for our film for a number of reasons. Past media projects also included very similar ideas thus making our film not seem original. Also we felt the scenes with the letter would becomes to repetitive for the audience, and would lack the thriller element. The final reason as to why we didn't use this idea for our final film idea was because our last idea about kidnapping felt original, thrilling and unique.

The child-
This was our second idea. It story involved a couple who find a child in the garden, hear strange noises from the loft and also see strange occurrences  in and around the house. This idea was our most complex idea. IT involved a lot of dialogue which was our first problem. Secondly it was difficult to generate a story, instead the idea felt like a lot of little ideas that didn't quite manage to merge into one. We thought of shooting the film but eventually it did not work out. The location, the lighting and the amount of actors required was too difficult. We needed a simpilar, less complex but more effective idea.

Deadliest-
This was our final idea and best idea. The story involved in our opening sequence was about a kidnapping. Its a phycological horror/thriller in wich the story was simple but effective (unlike the previous two).


Pitch-

Our idea for the film was initially going to be a slow paced thriller type film called The Letter. The film was going to follow a man during his day to day life and everyday he would get a mysterious letter counting down. This idea then progressed and changed, the plot was changed to have a mysterious child haunting the house and family. The more we thought about these ideas the more we realized that they wouldn't work and we were finally able to come up with our final idea. We sat down and discussed a way of incorporating good ideas to make and intro for a film we will be able to make that will look good and won’t seem thrown together. The hardest decision turned out to be naming the film; we don’t want something generic and bland like the names for the concept ideas.

                The final idea for the film is a thriller with many horror aspects that is very atmospheric and takes time in building tension and suspense. The story will follow a serial killer, focusing on his everyday life, showing his interactions with his victim and using inner monologue as a way of telling the story. While we will only have one victim other cases of murders will be implied. Dialogue will be minimal to show the separation from our character with the rest of the world. The film will focus on tense, slow paced music and cinematography to build suspense and keep the audience engaged with what is happening on screen. We will continue to keep the main character a mystery onscreen, not showing much of him but making sure the audience knows he is dominant and there. His identity will remain a secret and the film will end in a finale that ties together any loose ends and completely explains the story but keeps a sense of mystery.

The Opening-

The film opens with a series of shots from within the car; we can see the road ahead but not much of the character. We then get to see the surroundings, an isolated country road. It is mid to late evening, the sun is setting. We see the car pull up outside a barn and a masked man step out. Camera angles keep him looking mysterious. The masked man then enters the barn where a victim is held captive. We see the victim dragged to the car and a high angle shots shows him being thrown in the boot. We then follow the masked character check his back seat where we can see a shovel. The character then gets back in the car and continues to drive. We then see the car pull up on an isolated road, a series of muffled screams can be heard from the boot. Over the radio we are able to hear some back story talking about the disappearance of the character in the boot. The masked man is never mention and therefore is able to remain more mysterious and therefore scarier. The masked man grabs the shovel and then takes the victim out of the boot. The victim is unable to struggle but seems to have given up. The final shot shows the victim sat in a field whilst in the background we are able to see the masked man digging a hole. The camera then proceeds to fade to black.

Task 3

Task 3

To finalize our investigation based on our questionnaire, we decided to go for a horror genre of film.

The horror genre is a fairly new and growing genre in which both narrative and storytelling are evolving. Horror films to begin with, films such as Halloween and the exorcist revolutionized the making of horror films, even today. John carpenter especially used his use of cinematography, lighting and acting to give audiences a new type of horror, a physiological horror and not the typical horror gore. Iconic horror films also played a huge part in director’s careers. Directors such as Alfred Hitchcock used effective horror elements implemented into his films, such as “the birds” and “psycho” which later helped them become commercial successes.

Modern horror films have taken a much more different approach, many becoming parodies of previous film. A film in which this is evident to is the film Scream. A film in which I previously watched for the first time. It took on the role involving teenagers as the main protagonists instead of adults. However this wasn’t the first time, Halloween previous also did this along with Friday the 13^th, (the original). The difference with scream is that it parodies all of this, almost into a full comedy. This lead way to other horror films such as scary movie to become such a success. On its release, Scream was praised for its uniqueness whilst retaining its scars.

A much more traditional horror film, released in 1978 was the exorcist. It startled audiences with crude language, violence and horrific scenes of horror. However it was subject to critical reviews claiming it was “claptrap” as said in the New York Times. Also the review written by Jon Landau, for the rolling stones, claimed it was “religious porn” and claiming it was not worthy the watch. However over the years it soon became critically acclaimed as it was recognized as a film that revolutionized the way horror film are seen. Critics that did claim the film to not be worthy of the watch criticized its use of crude language throughout. Film prior to this had never reached the peak of swear words that the exorcist used. Throughout my short opening, there will be no or little use of swear words. However many influences may be taken from classic horror films, such as the exorcist, such as its dark approach to lighting etc…

Whilst talking about Alfred Hitchcock with horror films, he also used classic thrillers within his film making. Films such as vertigo and dial M for murder are used and reflected commonly as effective thrillers, building up the tension throughout the film until the climax. A film widely known for its thriller is Rear window, and like scream a film I had watched recently. Its use of narrative, acting and directing all blend to create this masterful work  all throughout up by Hitchcock. Its use of music that builds up tension only to increase its thrill is most evident throughout. However what makes these films so effective are its actors, which are all essential in all films. This can also be an influence for my short opening and that actors properly know their lines etc.. But also understand the film genre. We have not yet decided if we are going to take a classic approach or a deconstruction approach just yet.

To understand what approach we would go with within our film we took a questionnaire in which we asked several people of different ages and asked their favorite genre type etc….

Here are our findings:

As you can see, the popular choice was a teenage focus. As we shall later see a lot of the horror genres target audience has moved away from young adults and becoming for focused on teenagers. This may be because of the growing genre becoming more focused on teenagers. With films like se7en and silence of the lambs now deconstructing the horror genre into a more horror/thriller, intelligent films like this appeal to older generations. However, films such as Saw and paranormal activity take a less intelligent approach and focus more on the “jump scare” element that horror films have evolved to. This is disputed to be either good or bad by critics who claim that to create a perfect horror film is to create atmosphere and tension, films such as the shining do this very well, and also the exorcist. 

As we can see here the majority of audiences prefer the horror genre, rather than the thriller. A total of 13 people out of the 21 that were asked preferred the horror genre. A total of 7 preferred the thriller aspect. However only 2 liked the Rom-com aspect of film genres. There are a whole variety of reasons. An important reason may be because of the gender of those that were asked. A total of those that were asked out of 21 that were female were only 7. The other 14 were male. The male audience therefore can be more favorable towards the thriller and the horror genre, which may explain the results shown and expressed now.  The reason why the horror genre is more popular than the thriller genre may be because of both gender and age. Again, previously said, the horror genre is a clear target audience for teenagers, whereas thrillers are the target audience for adults. 

Whilst doing this we analysed the BFI data on different genres of film. 

1 Skyfall

2 The Dark Knight Rises 

3 The Hobbit: An Unexpected 

Journey

4 Marvel Avengers Assemble

5 The Twilight Saga: Breaking 

Dawn – 

6 Ted 

7 Ice Age 4: Continental Drift 

8 Life of Pi

9 The Amazing Spider-Man 

10 Prometheus 

11 The Hunger Games 

12 Taken 2 

13 Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most 

Wanted USA 22.7 530 6.0 Paramount

14 Men in Black 3 

15 Brave 

16 The Woman in Black

17 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 

18 War Horse

19 American Pie:

20 The Muppet's

As we can see the highest grossing film within the UK was Skyfall. This would be an action/thriller genre. As to the reason why it was top can be several. One of which can be that is was a critically acclaimed James Bond movie, many claiming it was overall a better film than the classics like Goldfinger or Thunderball. Also due to the time of release impacted on its success. It was released on the 50th anniversary in which James Bond was founded by Ian Fleming, therefore causing a wider audience due to its increase in publicity. This highly respected film, claiming to be one of the best Bond films, would have gained a wider audience due to its positive critical reception. Films atop of the list include Batman, Marvel and The hobbit were all well received by critics, this would of had a positive impact on its audience count, as many people today turn to professional critics before watching a film. Even films lower on the list had a high critical response, films such as Brave was nominated at the Oscars for best animation, the women in black was claimed to be one of the scariest films of the year and War horse was nominated for best Picture. However, there may be another reason as to why these films are on the list. Films such as Prometheus, War horse and The dark knight rises were all directed by famous directors, famous for their past work on films. For instance, War horse was directed by Steven Spielberg who is one of the best directors to date, and his past works include, Schindler's List and Saving private Ryan, both commercial successes and gained a huge positive critical response. Another example is the film Prometheus, directed by Ridley Scott. His past works include Blade Runner, Gladiator and Kingdom of heaven, again like Spielberg, all highly rated and all commercial successes. 

Many of the films on this list are squeals. Some of which are "The dark knight rises", "Ice age 4" and "Madagascar 3". If not a sequel they are either prequels or remakes. For instance "The Hobbit", a prequel to the "lord of the rings". "The amazing spider man" a remake of the spider man franchise. "The avengers" a mixture of sequel and re imagining where characters from past films are merged into one. This may be why the women in black, arguably the only horror film on there, is so low and as our film can not be a sequel or remake, it is only suitable to choose a unique film from our list that is neither remake or sequel. Many films today being made by Hollywood are clear examples of remakes, The purpose being that audiences know the past films well, therefore are likely to see the sequel. 

Fantasy 40,624 0

Action 33,194 

Sci-fi 26,528 

Adventure 25,219 

War 22,122 

Animation 21,608

Romance 20,843 

Family 14,990 

Biopic 13,519 

Comedy 12,401

Horror 10,200 

Thriller 7,242 

Crime 6,276 

Music/dance 6,154

Drama 4,738 

Western 4,095 

Documentary 2,505

As you can see from this list horror is more popular than thriller genre. However it may not be as popular than comedy. With this said, there is no Rom-com category, so therefore it can not be compared properly. There is a significant difference within the horror and thriller genre a total of nearly 3,000, therefore only supporting our argument for choosing the horror genre. Yet our genre of filming make turn into a thriller/horror as films in the past which have done this have become successful. Some of these include se7en, which shocks audience which imagery, creating a horror element, but is also a thriller as the story line is driven through detective work. A film similar to this is silence of the lambs, which two mixes both the horror genre and the thriller genre well, and like se7en was highly rated and was a commercial success.