Film Evaluation

Pre – production:

Film Genre

The genre of my film is horror/thriller. I have chosen this genre because it is

something that most attracts a young audience. This short film is based around
someone who is evicted from her home and is then in desperate need of finding
somewhere to stay until she is able to afford to buy a new home to live in. She then
lives with her friend for a few days until she notices that there isn’t something quite
right. Unexplained noises occur within the house and mysterious photographs are
taken of the girl when she is believed to have been on her own. The effect of this is
to give the audience a chilling response to these specific parts within the short film,
as this is to make them reflect on how they would feel if they were in this situation
themselves.

My idea

My film idea is about a girl who is evicted from her home and is worried about where
she will stay. She then stays with her friend for a while until she can find a place she
is able to live in. After staying there for a few nights, the girl begins to realize that
not everything is so normal. Instead, she is woken up in the night by noises and
strange shadows running by her door and along the corridor. The girl has been kept
up all night from these noises and strange shadows and therefore she feels as
though she should confront these problems with her friend in hope that he as an
answer as to why these mysterious noises and shadows have come into existence.

Following on from this, one of the last scenes is showing that the girl’s friend is
leaving one night to go out with his friends. However, as her friend leaves the
audience notices that he takes a clown mask with him. This is only shown to the
camera as it is to show that the friend is plotting something that the girl is not
supposed to know about.

The girl is happy to be in the house on her own until the lights go out in her room
and the whole house. This makes her believe there is a power cut but is completely
wrong. This then leads the girl to look downstairs for the power box. She comes to
the kitchen and finds photographs that had been laid across the table and a figure
with a mask comes up from behind the girl and taps her shoulder. The screen goes
black and all that is heard is a scream. This is to hide the horrific way of which the girl
had been attacked. The final shot is of the masked friend in the camera to give a
warning to the audience as they could potentially be next on his list to find.

This production follows the narrative of an evicted girl who falls in the hands of a
stalker. The narrative of this film is to show that the start of the story seems to be
relieving where the female character does not have a place to live but is able to live
at her friend’s house. The film then follows the narrative in building up to the final
scene where the girl is eventually attacked by a stalker. This is the most horrifying
scene for the audience as the story seems to start in a calm manner and all seems to
be well in the way the girl has been saved of having no where to stay.

Conventions included

I met the conventions of the horror/thriller genre through including a mask the short
film. This contributes to the horror side of the film because this will have a fearful
response from the audience because it is the fear of the unknown where they are
unable to see the killer’s face. Furthermore, the convention of thriller has been
shown through the scene of the break in, as this is something that could happen to
someone, as it is common that most people experience a burglary and in some
unfortunate cases the burglar doesn’t always leave in a peaceful manner. The
purpose of using the photographs show the audience this is a thriller based short
film as in some criminal cases e.g. stalking there can be images taken of the victim.
The purpose of the time lapses within the film is to show a transition of time along
with setting a dark scene that foreshadows the end of the film.

Cinematography

During the process of filming, I have

included cinematography that creates a
tense impact on the audience. This has
been shown through including a close
up of the photos that have been left on
the kitchen table. This is to show the
audience that someone at random has
been taking pictures of one of the
characters. This is to create a sense of
tension that will build up to the final
shot of the main character being
attacked.

Following on from this, there has been a use of panning to show the audience the
movement of the characters in the direction of where they are walking and what
room they are walking to. This has been included to make the audience feel involved
with the film as they are aware of what the characters are doing, what the room
looks like that they have entered as though they are there with the characters.

The purpose of the long shot shown during

the morning scene is to show the audience
what the characters are doing and to show
the setting of where the characters are. This
shot was ideal for this particular scene
because it is showing that the characters are
speaking amongst themselves along with
showing what they are doing and where they are.

The use of the over the shoulder shot is to show the audience the on going
conversation between the two characters. This shot will be included during the
morning scene at the table when the characters are speaking about the following
night about to come while they are eating breakfast.

A two shot was included at the start of the film when the evicted girl has been
shown to her room that she will be staying at while she is staying with her friend at
his house until she is able to buy a new house of her own. The two shot has been
selected for this scene, as it is to show the viewers that it is her friend’s house and
he is showing her to the spare room of where she will be sleeping.

Mise-En- Scene

The location of where the film is set has been chosen because it is to show that a
home isn’t always a place of comfort and protection. This film shows that the home
of where the girl stays is a place of mental torture along with showing this is possibly
the last place she would want to stay.

The lighting within the film transitions from high key to low key as the film
progresses. This is to show that this is not a happy, comedy film. Instead through
showing that the lighting is transitioning, this is to foreshadow the end, as this is a
horror/thriller film. Therefore through the dark lighting it shows that there is not
going to be a happy ending, it is a gloomy lighting to build up to the horrific end.

A dark black filter will be used to show the lighting of the film is dark to exaggerate
to the audience the genre of the film. This effect will also dismiss of any light coming
through when a specific scene is supposed to be dark ready to transition into a new
scene.

The costumes that will be worn by the characters will be casual clothing. For
example, the girl will wear casual jeans, tops/jumpers, trainers/loafers and a coat.
The boy will wear jeans, jumpers/tops and trainers. This is to show the audience a
sense of normality between the characters and that the film is set in the modern
everyday life. Both characters will also wear pajamas as well later in the film to show
that this scene is shot in the morning. The use of costume can also be used as an
idea to highlight to the audience the time of day and what is occurring within that
specific shot.

Editing

Within my film, I have included a range of time lapses, as this is to show a change in
time. Whether it is to show the following day or to show the day has fast forward
into the evening of the same day. This creates an effect to the audience, as it is to
show that there is a shift in time so they are aware that there will be a new scene
that will be occurring shortly after the time lapse.
I have included a range of ‘cuts’. This is to show the fast pace of movement that is
occurring throughout the scenes. This will also build a sense of tension because the
quick cuts in each scene build up to final shot when the girl is possibly killed.

There has been a black fade has been included between the shot of a blank screen
that says ‘The Next Day…’ and the next scene. This is to create a smooth effect
between the shots instead of this being unsteady.

A range of sound effects and music were edited into the film, as this is to set a
specific tone or mood for a particular scene in the film. This is to create a range of
responses from the audience. For example, the sound of the tense music as the
rotated slogan is played to show the production at the start of the film has been
included to show the audience clearly the genre of the film. Furthermore, the use of
sound effects such as, the ‘zap’ to show that the electricity has been cut out as
though there had been a power cut is create tension for the audience, as it would
give the false intension of there being someone else in the house as well as the girl
even though she believes she is home alone.

The sound effect of a doorbell has been used as the killer merges through the door
to kill the girl. The music used for the doorbell is from a sound effect app, this music
relates to horror/thriller films as the music itself connotes to death and gore.

I have included tense music when the mask is first shown on screen as the friend
grabs it. This is to show the audience that there is something mysterious about the
friend and furthermore foreshadows the ending of the film. The use of music is to
gain a sense of tension between the audiences as the shot of the mask as this make
is not supposed to give the audience a relieved attitude, moreover it is supposed to
gain a scarce attitude instead. This shows the convention of a horror/thriller based
film as the music is tense and starts at a slow speed gradually building up to a faster
paste to show that something is going to happen at the end of the music playing.

I have included a black screen that says ‘The next day…’ this is to show a difference
in time. The purpose of this is to not confuse the audience, because if this had not
been included the audience may be confused as to whether the scene was shot on
the same day or not. This can also be seen as a way of relating this type of editing to
the relation of the horror based film because the dark screen could reflect the dark
outcome of the ending of the film.

I also used the ‘speed up’ option on the Adobe software to speed the process up of
the time lapse. This is to make sure the time lapse is not too long on screen as this
may cause the audience to lose interest during this particular shot.

Pre-production

The purpose of making a Storyboard before making the film was that it allowed me
to plan each shot that will take place during the time of filming. This allows me to
know what each short will look like before watching this on camera and I am able to
change the shot idea before filming my film. This task is useful as it is step-by-step
guides to how I plan to have my film appear on screen and can visually see what it
will look like to viewers before the film is released.

During pre-production, I was able to design a Location Recce. This will allow me to
have a visual idea of where I will be filming each scene. Through planning each
location I can then have an idea of where I will take each shot of the characters
during each scene. This will then lead to the planning of the 8 shots I am choosing to
include within the short film. The location recce is a very useful task that is
important to design during the preparation of making the film as it is a plan of how I
am hoping to film, therefore when I eventually do begin filming I know exactly what I
plan on doing at these specific locations.

Furthermore, during the pre-production stage of making my film, I made a Risk

Assessment. This allows me to understand the potential risks that could happen
during the time of filming. Through identifying the potential risks that could possibly
take place, it can allow me to avoid these risks. However, if a risk did occur, the risk
assessment allows me to be prepared for this as I have planned various ways of how
to overcome these hazards. For example, if the hazard of wires had caused a
problem to one of the actors, the solution would be to give aid to the actor if they
grazed their knee.

An Equipment List was made. This is to allow me to know what needs to be bought
or borrowed in order to make my film. Through having this specific list made, it is
almost like a tick list of what I already have and what I need. The equipment list also
tells me why it is important to have these products during the process of filming. For
example, an OSMO is needed as this will allow the shots within the film to be
smooth when it is displayed on camera.

The purpose of drafting a Production Schedule is to plan dates of filming and what
scene will be filmed on each day. This can give me an idea of when the film should
be finished by and when it can then be uploaded ready for the audience to view. This
also allows me to prioritise when each scene will be filmed and how long each scene
will take to be finalized.

The importance of each pre-production process

Each of the pre-production stages are very important for each of their own individual
reasons.

Designing a Storyboard is important because this gives me an idea of how each shot
will have an impact on viewers alongside with having a meaning behind the shot as
to how it makes each scene different to the next. For example, the use of the close
up on the images taken of the girl gives an impact on the audience as this allows
them to see clearly why the girl has reacted in a shocked manor. This may also make
the audience think as to how they would react of this was to happen to them.
However, if I chose to film this scene as an over the shoulder shot, the images would
not be clear to the audience and therefore the impact on them would not be as
intense as this would imply that the photos are not important to the camera as they
will appear vague on screen.

The importance of making a Location Recce is that it allows me to visually see the
locations that have been chosen to shoot for my film. This can show me what the
potential impact this would have on the audience in how they will react towards
each setting. There is one location that this film has been recorded at; this film is set
in a home. This will have an impact on viewers as a home connotes to security and
safety along with comfort. However, when the viewers see that this home is not a
place of safety they will react in a less relaxed way because this will create tension
due to the character who is in danger having no where to go in where she could be
safe.

During my pre-production tasks, I have made a Risk Assessment. This is important as

this contributes to the effect of filming due to the possible risks that could take place
on set. The risk assessment allows me to analyse all of the possible risks that
surround both the crew and cast and therefore through making a risk assessment it
can show me clearly as to what I could possibly do to ensure that everyone is safe
from any hazards. The risk assessment also allows me to know what to do if any of
the cast members of crew do unfortunately become injured due to the risks and
therefore this will make me less panicked, as I will know exactly what to do to help
the individual(s) who have potentially hurt themselves.

Following on from this I have made an Equipment List. This is important as it shows
me what will be needed in order to make my film. The equipment list allows me to
identify what I potentially already have to contribute towards the film and what will
need to be purchased or bought and therefore this then leads to the budget of
expenses needed to make the film. The budget is confirmed through the equipment
list and therefore without an equipment list I would be unsure of what expenses will
need to be paid. The equipment list also shows me why it is important that I need to
be able to have each pieces of equipment during the making of my film as I have said
what each piece of equipment’s purpose is during my film.

The final piece of pre-production work I did was making a Production Schedule. This
is important because it tells me what scenes will be shot on what days. This allows
both the cast and crew to be organised, as they can then know what days they will
be needed. This also allows me to see what scenes have been completed already and
what ones need to be shot. This process can also give me an idea of when the film
will be released as well.

How the pre-production tasks benefit the production

The pre-production tasks benefit the production as they allow me to plan how I
would like my film to be shown on camera and what types of responses I would like
to gain from the audience through everything that has contributed to making the
overall outcome.

Furthermore, the pre – production tasks also allow me to understand the storyline of
the film and can allow me to make changes if needed. Such as, a change that was
made was the choice of ending in the film. Originally the film was going to end with a
999 call claiming a killer had entered the house and the girl dies by being hit over the
head with a saucepan. Whereas, the film now ends with the killer holding the girl
and then the scene cuts away to then displaying that the killer has the camera and is
looking into it. This makes it unclear whether the girl is dead or alive to end the film
on a cliff hanger like most horror/thriller films.

Production:

How well the overall production went

The production at the beginning was difficult as there had to be many adjustments
made. An example was that a change in actors had to be made where the original
actor became unavailable and therefore this left hardly any available time to film
and recreate the original idea. However, once the film had been finished it was a
success as I was able to gain all needed footage to complete the overall task.

Skills that had been learned during the production

Throughout this production I have gained many skills. One of the skills that I have
learned was to use editing tools on the After Effects software. I used the After
Effects software to make a non-moving image, move. This was needed when I had
designed the slogan that appears onscreen before the film begins. I used the ‘cut
out’ tool to cut out the wheels of the camera and then in used the ‘rotating’ tool to
then rotate the wheels in a clockwise movement.

I have also used the Adobe Premier Pro software to upload and edit my film as it
allows me to edit each shot together and make the overall story. I had learned how
use some tools on this software such as the use of speeding up the time lapses as
they can be displayed for a long amount of time on screen.

Another skill I have learned during the production is how to crop clips to make each
clip smoothly follow into the next. This is a simple type of editing as all that is
needed to do this is to lightly hover the mouse over the desired clip that is needed to
be cropped until a red bar facing the correct way that the clip needs to be cropped
from appears. Then all that is needed to be done is to drag the red bar the way that
the clip needs to be cropped.

I have also learned how to use an OSMO as this was needed during the process of
filming. The OSMO allows the footage to be smooth when making shots as if the film
was recorded without the OSMO the footage can become shaky and this will mean
the shot(s) may need to be filmed again. It is a lot easier to use an OSMO when
recording, as you are able to position your phone in the angle you would like and will
not need to worry whether the shot is shaky as it will not be.

Throughout this production I have gained the skill of being able to establish shot
types. For example, I have included a pan to the right within my film as this allows
the audience to be aware of what the female character’s surroundings are along
with displaying what she is doing within this shot. Another shot I used was the over
the shoulder shot when the female character is speaking to the male character. It is
important to remember that when including this shot the 180-degree rule as if the
shot is not filmed on the right side of both characters the audience can be confused,
as the background may appear different in some way to how it looked before.

The most challenging part of the film

Throughout the duration of filming I feel that the most difficult part would have
been positioning the camera to make the shots clear and obvious in what each shot I
had chosen to do. This was difficult because sometimes the focus was off on the
camera and therefore this would cause the picture to become blurry, if the shot is
blurry I would have to then re-film the shots as this would be unclear to the
audience as to what is occurring on screen.
Another challenge was that when the OSMO had died I had to film some shots with
my hands. This meant that at some points the camera appeared to shake. When this
happened I had to then re-film these shots a couple of times until the shots were
smooth.

How the genre conventions are presented within the film

At the start of the film it is clear that this will be a horror/thriller film. This is
demonstrated through my slogan that is presented before the film starts. The choice
of music that is played while the slogan is playing has been selected from music that
is presented within the horror genre. This is to create suspense for the audience
before the film begins.

Furthermore, the genre has been clearly presented through the scene where the girl
goes down the stairs to turn the lights on and discovers the mysterious photographs
left for her on the kitchen table. This is to create a sense of fear for the audience as it
foreshadows the following shot of the male character in a mask comes behind the
girl.

The following shots are supposed to be the most ‘scary’ as it is unclear whether the
girl dies or is still alive and what the stalker has planed for her. The final shot is of the
masked stalker looking closely to the camera as though he will be coming for the
audience after he is finished with the girl in the film thus is also to create a sense of
fear for the audience as this would appear as ‘nerve wrecking’ for them because
they would feel as though they cannot escape him.
Elements of the film that would be changed

If I could change anything about my film is that I would include shots of the
‘shadows’ that are mentioned in the film by the female character and a shot of her
sleeping at night where the noises are supposedly heard and of the stalker watching
her as she sleeps. I feel that through including these extra shots it would have made
the film more thrilling for the audience and would then add to the suspense as to
what would happen to the girl. Through having these small changes it would then
possibly make the film scarier and also could have make it more exciting to watch.

I also would have included more quirky shots within the film. For example, I would
like to have included a shot where the girl is walking down the stairs but she walks
over the camera as this can be seen as more appealing to the audience as it is a
unique shot. Another shot I would like to have included would be one where I would
have the camera behind a wall and she walks past it as this would make it seem as
though the camera is supposed to be from the stalker’s point of view as though he is
always watching what she is doing.

How the pre-production stage was useful

The pre-production stage was very useful when making my production as each
aspect was helpful in order for me to make the film have the desired effect I was
looking to gain from the audience.

The storyboard was useful as it allowed me to decide what shot would be beneficial
for the film as I can see what this should look like before it appears on screen and I
can then judge whether it is effective for the audience and can judge whether it will
achieve the reaction I want to receive from this shot.

The call sheet was useful because it helped me to plan what aspects of the filmi
would be responsible for and what time all the cast members and crew need to
meet for so we are all organised for these specific days that were required.

The Location Recce was useful because I was able to plan where each scene will be
shot and why these locations were important in contributing to the effect of the
film. The film has one overall location, this is the house itself. This is important as a
house connotes to safety and security whereas this house is the opposite because it
is where the horrific event at the end occurs.

The equipment list was useful as it showed me what I would need to make my film
and how much of each product would cost that I would either need to buy or
borrow. This piece of work also shows me how each product is important when
making the film and how they would contribute to the overall production itself. For
example, an iPhone was needed in order to make the film as this is the piece of
equipment that I have chosen to record my film on.
The script is very useful when making the film as it shows that the film has been
organised in what the characters are expected to say and how they are expected to
react during certain parts within the film. The script includes movement if the
characters need to move in a specific way if required. For example if it was needed
during the breakfast scene – (Emily pours a bowl of cereal for herself while directly
speaking to Paddy).

The next steps after filming

After filming I had to then look over each shot and scene to make sure they were
perfect before uploading them onto the computer ready to edit. This was easy as I
was able to access each clip easily through my camera roll on my phone.

I then had to upload each clip onto the computer so I could then arrange each shot
and scene in the correct order. This was the easiest part of the editing as it was
dragged from the desktop directly to the software that I used to make my film on.

When I was looking through each clip I had to crop down some clips as they were too
long or had irrelevant parts to it that was not needed within the film or even had
some mistake in. This was easy to do as well as all that is required to do this is to just
drag either the ending of the clip or the start of the clip depending what end of the
clip needs to be cropped.

After the film was complete and each clip had been uploaded the last part of editing
that was needed was to add in sound effects to make the film exciting for the
audience and to add music in the background so there is a sense of tension for the
audience as this is a thriller/horror based film and therefore the required reaction
from the audience is ‘fear’.

Software that was used

The software’s that was used when I was editing my film was Abode Premier Pro and
After Effects. Premier pro was used to place all my shots together and to edit certain
parts of my film. For example, I used this software to increase the speed of some
shots and to crop other shots or to import sound effects and music.

After Effects was used to design my logo as this is software that is used only for
editing certain pieces. However I did not use this software at any other part of my
production other than for my logo.

Analysis of Production:

Challenges that occurred when making the production

During the time of making my film I had many challenges. The main one was having
to find another actor that could replace the old actor and filming this production
within one day so I could edit it completely within two weeks. The reason for having
to find a new actor in replacement of the other was because the original actor was
no longer available to help re-film a couple of shots.

Another challenge that occurred during the time I was making my production was
that I had to learn how to edit. This took a large period of time to learn what I
needed to in order to finish my production. Some of the editing techniques that I
had to learn were complicated at first but as I started to use these techniques more
often I was able to find them a lot easier to use.

Due to having to re-make the film again, this meant I had to redraft a new script as it
had to be made a longer length to fit the time duration that was given. This was
difficult because I had to re-write the script in time for the new cast member to learn
and know in a short amount of time to then be ready in time to film.

The final challenge that was faced was that I had to arrange to meet up with one of
the actors. The footage was too quiet in certain aspects and therefore this meant
that I had to include voiceovers and ensure that the voice overs were in time with
the video. Due to having a less amount of time to complete the film this was difficult
as the deadline was shortly coming and therefore to arrange a day for the voiceovers
this meant it had to be done quickly and edited in time to meet the deadline.

The processes that went well

The processes that went well during my production was the shot taking of when I
was filming each scene as I was able to gather a varied amount of different shots and
was able to re-film certain scenes at different angles to see which shot fits best for
each scene. Another process that went well was with able to not have to re-film any
shots or scenes the second time round after having to re-film everything again.

Another process that went well during this production was being able to understand
how to edit after being shown what editing skills I will need to complete my short
film. All though this was originally a weakness of mine I was able to learn how to
overcome this and now I know how to do these skills I am able to help those who
need help with this.

The most successful element of the short film

The most successful element for my short film is that I believe that I will achieve in
making this film appealing to the audience through making this film scary through
having suspense build up throughout the film. This has been done by using tense
music, low-key lighting and jump scares. These aspects make me confident that this
film will be enjoyable to watch for the target audience as I believe the film is
constantly on edge from the beginning making this production interesting from the
start until the end.
Another successful element of my short film is that even though there were
difficulties in having to start my production again. I was able to make this production
a lot better in comparison to my old one in a shorter time period. The new film
included ideas that had not been originally thought of, such as, showing the
audience who the stalker is during a scene but keeping this a secret from the other
character. This was an idea that was decided during the time of making this film as I
thought it would be more thrilling for the audience as they know that the main male
character is therefore not as trustworthy as he seems in the beginning.