Evaluation

Our Opening Sequence

Our Music

Trying to find the right music for our opening sequence was very difficult because we didn't know what kind of music we wanted. We went on to YouTube for some inspiration and searched all types of things. We tried modern music by popular artists but they weren't what we wanted because we wanted typical horror music. 

Harrie found a song from 'The Woman in Black' that was exactly what we were looking for. The sound it made was really sinister and it had sound effects that sounded like children's toys, like the music that you get when you wind a jack-in-the-box. We put it with our opening sequence and it fitted perfectly, especially because we were using pictures and we wanted the picture to change on the beat for effect. We really wanted to be able to use this music in our opening sequence, however we would have had to of got permission to use it and this is a complicated and time-consuming task. We decided that we would  make our own music, and use some of the sounds that the music contains in our media, for example we really wanted it to have the same strong beat so that it fitting in with the picture changes.

We started playing around on garage band and looked at all the different sounds and instruments. We found some sounds that we liked from the 'Dark' and 'Distorted' sections of loops that when combined, gave us a strong beat and the sound we wanted. We repeated this effect throughout the whole song and then added some keyboard effects so that we would have some variety in our music. 

Our Costumes and Props

Our props and costumes included:

Miranda's Outfit:                                                                Amy's Outfit

-white blouse                                                                     -black hoodie
-black skirt                                                                        -black trousers
-black tights                                                                      - black tights we put over her head so her face isn't clearly visible
-black ballet shoes
-'REBEL' t-shirt

Props

-mirror
-torch (to create the light under Miranda's face after she goes into the toilet cubicle)
-makeup (smudged) 
-fake blood
-knife
-sink tap

Permission Forms

Having different locations for our filming meant that in each place we could film different shots and use our surrounding effectively in different ways. As  one of the places that we filmed in was a boarding house, we had to get permission from our housemistress to allow us to film in there.  However, because the rest of our filming was outside, we didn't need to get permission to film there.





We also had to ask permission from our actresses  to involve them in the contents of our filming. The consent form declares 'I hereby consent to act in Charlotte Bill, Amber Chadwick and Harriet May's thriller project. They have my permission to use the footage involving any images of me in any way they need to in terms of the AS project.'


Here follows the consent that Amy and Miranda signed agreeing to our terms and conditions:

Filming Locations

To make our opening sequence as good as possible, we carefully considered the places where it could take place. The location is most important in scenes where most of our filming occurs because it is the location that our audience will see the most. The quick shots are not as important in terms of location as these are not shown for very long. 


As we only needed to film in a couple of locations we were able to film most of our opening sequence in one go.  We chose to film at our school in Paulls house, which is the girls boarding house in the downstairs changing room and bathroom because it has a big mirror which allows you to see yourself full-length and a long, narrow corridor which we could film our actress, Miranda walking down. We used this narrow corridor to make it seem like she is on her own, but she isn't because the 'evil' girl is following her. We were able to film practically all the shots because it was so relevant to our plot line.

The final set of filming that we did was outside in the evening. This is because it is dark, which gives a more tense atmosphere as you cant see much and you feel vulnerable. Therefore we felt it was the perfect time to film. Here we filmed all of the outside shots, including all the panning shots and the shot with the shadows. 

Our Storyboards

After we had finished all of our research into making a thriller film and established what we wanted to include, we started to plan our opening title sequence. We created our storyboards so that we had a good idea of what was going to happen. It gave us the opportunity to look over our previous ideas and go over what we wanted to change and what we wanted to include. The storyboards are mostly to guide us while we are filming, they show us the shots that we will film and also tell us what type of shot it is for example mid shot or tracking shot.

•  This is the first page of our opening sequence.
• The first shot is zooming into her eye- we wanted to do this so that it looks like we are going back into her memories.
• We then show photos of the girl as a baby to how she looks today so it gives the impression that she has been a sweet innocent girl throughout her life.
• The next shot shows the production company which we had to make up.
• We then followed on from this with a slow panning shot of a building to give the impression that the girl is in danger and is looking around at her surroundings to see if there is anything there.

•  The name of our film is displayed, 'TORTURED'. We chose this title because it has a lot of relevance to our plot line. This is because the main character is being forced in to doings things she doesn't want to do such as cutting and therefore torturing herself.   
• The action then cuts to a  tracking shot which is following two shadows. The one in front looks back on the shadow behind to give the impression that she is being followed and in danger.
• Next, the Directors names are shown.
• There is another, slightly faster panning shot of another building.
• The names of the actors in our opening sequence are shown.
• We then see feet walking towards the camera in the dark, and a dimly lit light is lighting the pathway. This gives the impression that she is vulnerable and exposed because she is alone.

•  There is a long shot of the girl opening the door and going into the room. 
• The action cuts to a mid shot of the girl coming to a mirror, she peers as she thinks she has seen something and quickly turns around. There is nothing there. We were inspired by the film 'Mirrors' to do this shot and it signifies the idea that someone is watching her.
• There is a long shot of a hooded figure watching the girl from aside. This allows the audience to assume that this figure has been following her and this is what made her feel like she was being watched. We deliberately dressed her in all black because this colour connotes evil.
• There is then a tracking shot of the girls feet walking down a narrow corridor. This shot cross-cuts with the next shot which is also a tracking shot of the girl walking towards a picture and you are looking at her reflection. You then see the hooded figure behind her. She looks around and the figure is gone. We used cross-cutting because we thought just having the shot of her reflection in the picture would be too boring as it is too long. Cross-cutting allowed us to break it down. 
• The person responsible for the screenplay and the director of photography's name appears.

•  A long shot of the girl walking into a toilet cubicle is shown. She shuts the door and there is nobody else in there. This could symbolise her desire to shut the world out. 
• We then see the girl inside the toilet looking in the mirror in the dark with a light shining on her. This gives her face a sinister glow and promote the theme of possession, that the hooded figure has taken over her.
• We then see a close up of the hooded figure and we can't see her face. It is almost like they haven't got a identity and this creates a sinister atmosphere.
• The action then cuts to who edited the film.
• There is then a mid shot and the girl comes out of the toilet with smudged makeup and a 'REBEL' t-shirt on. The girl has completely changed her personality and appearance as now she is bad. 
• After the girl is gone, we see the hooded figure was inside the toilet 'influencing' her. This shows how easy it is for people to influence your decisions in life.

• We the see of a mid shot of the girl looking into a mirror. The hooded figure is behind her in the toilet cubicle. This shows that despite her change in character, the hooded figure is still influencing her and she can't get rid of them.
• The make-up supervisor and hair stylist's name is shown.
• We then see an extreme close up of an arm being cut with a knife, forming the word 'HELP' in a black and white shot. It is the girl's arm. This shows that the sweet, innocent girl is still within and is trying to break out and get help.
• In another black and white shot the blood is washed away down the sink. We were inspired by the film 'Psycho' to do this shot as the film is in black and white and in the famous 'shower scene' after the woman has been murdered, the blood is washed down the sink.
• The action then cuts to a shot showing the name of the person responsible for the music.
• There is then a close up of the girl with smudged makeup on. The camera then zooms into this shot slightly, almost replicating the beginning shot. This shows the audience how much she has changed. This cross-cuts with a mid-shot of the hooded figure with the knife. It is almost like she is admiring her handy-work as she inspects the blood-covered knife.