Production Company title designing process

Production company title

Choosing our title;

when creating our title we wanted to create a unique logo and name as there are many existing production companies. we could use existing companies for our own ideas but making sure they were slightly different or not too similar to those already out there log wise and title.

some of our ideas were;

Hourglass productions

Owlglass Productions

Temptation Times

Loose End Production

we decided to go with 'Owlglass' for our production company name. we all agreed on the idea of using an owl in our name and logo as many popular production companies use animals in both, we thought it looked professional and meant our company could be seen as a serious contender in the future. for the logo we researched realistic owls and chose these as our main design base;

over these images we have experimented with the way we add text and how we want the logo to be shown at the beginning or end of our opening for our film. we chose to use the third image for our logo and title to show at the beginning of our clip. we choose this image as we wanted to incorporate the effect of flying onto the logo (e.g. the transitions) also we liked how the owl looked like a dominant predator - which has key links to our film as the male protagonist is also being seen as the dominant predator.

we created this for our logo, we chose a dark background to keep in the theme of thriller also by contrasting the dark background with the lighter writing and the owl with the outline of light makes the owl stand out. we added the smoke to come across the logo to create an enigma code of mystery as the audience won't know what to expect from our film.  we used 'adobe Premiere Pro' to create and edit our title and add transitions for example like the smoke in the background as we felt this added mystery. the glow around the owl as well as making the owl stand out it makes the audience focus on the owl therefore making the owl the centre of the the production company. as a production company we tried to achieve a professional edgy look that wasn't just limited  to the horror genre so we could expand our film company.

Filming day one

First Day Of Filming

 Planning our outing

We are going to film in the evening around 4pm when it starts getting a bit dark to ensure we have a dark lighting. By having dark lighting we create tension as it’s typical of a horror genre. Usually dark lighting would make the audience feel uneasy as they will feel that the protagonist is vulnerable in the dark and this would engage them in the opening. we are going to look at different shot angles and decide on appropriate clothing for our characters to wear.

Filming

we could only arrange to meet during the school day due to busy after school schedules, so we went out about 12pm to our main location in the alley outside our school we choose this location as it's available to all of our group which helps our time management also it's a realistic place for teenagers as it's a recognisable place for other teenagers. it has a scary feel to it and as the trees cover most of the alley it's a perfect location for a stalker to approach and try and attempt to kidnap our teenage protagonist. 
 when we set out to film we made our 'man' (Ed) wear a big baggy coat which kept him quite covered as we want to create tension by not allowing the audience to see his face, this also creates an enigma code. 

   this is part of the alley we wanted to hide our 'man' in during our film to show him watching our protagonist on her way home from school. at this particular part of our location we used a medium shot  and had our protagonist walk past the the camera whilst our ' man' is only shown slightly however he is watching our teenager as she walks home. we did this as it creates an element of suspense and suggests the the audience his intentions may not be to innocent. we also made use of things we found in the alley such as the graffiti on the wall as it made the alley look more dangerous and is a common feature in horror and thriller. 

 this is a is a low angle medium shot, we felt this was effective as it add to the current enigma code of not seeing our 'mans' face creating suspense as he is following our protagonist through the alley on her way home however, we would like to refilm this as ideally we would like to have our setting in the dark to add to the creepy setting for our short film. also as the alley is covered by trees it makes the alley a natural setting for a horror/thriller. it also just shows the clothes we have chosen to dress our male protagonist in as we dressed him in ragged old clothes to make him look a bit suspicious.

Planning our first outing and what we will need to consider pre filming

Diary Of Filming 

Filming - 
for our first day of filming, which we only have an  hour due to difficulty meeting due to balancing exams and finding time to revise. so when we do go out our main scene which is the alley by our school as it is close to school and easy for us to all meet unfortunately when we go to our scene it won't be dark when we first go and experiment with shots,however this won't be an issue as we can work around the level of light and just adapt whilst filming.we will need to use a number of shots, which are tracking shot of him walking down the alley, and a close up shot of the mans figure however not of his face this we hope will create tension. we will also use medium shots of the back of the man. for this we will need to create an image of an elder man - without actually showing his face. also we need to filming our protagonist talking on the phone to her mum we decided this would be our only conversation in our opening as we want to build tension so are going to use music to help create suspense in the little time we have.

Prop List - 

- for our stalker we need a big dark baggy coat.
- basic dark clothing to make the stalker look mysterious and threatening.
- aging props such as possibly a walking stick and a flat cap maybe some glasses and possibly makeup to create aging on the antagonists face.


Examples of shots we will use - 
medium shot - of the back of the man walking toward the park through the alley

long shot - of the man watching our protagonist in the distance

close up shot - but still not showing the face

tracking shot -  following the girl through the alley un detected by the girl as she begins to feel unsettled

Actors and props- photos and interviews

Actors and props- photos and interviews

Vulnerable teenage girl

 This is Ciara, she is our main character she is a young girl this will mean that she can be made to look vulnerable in certain situations. This will benefit our film as these are the normal codes and conventions that are used in other horror films. Ciara is an attractive teenage girl this will mean that the male gaze theory will occur and so more teenage boys will watch our film also young girls will like the film as they may relate themselves to her or maybe look up to her as a role model.

We so lucky to have an up and coming actor in our film, Ciara studies at Glyn School in Epsom she is studying drama a level and so therefore has experience of being in an acting environment. She is especially good at acting in horror extracts as she is very dramatic and so therefore knows what to do in those situations. Ciara's expertise is in physical drama rather than the vocal part. She was the most physically able of all the actors who came to play the part, and as the main actor has to be physically good, she is perfect for the part.
I have worked with her on previous occasions, in low budget films such as 'The Piano' and ‘what’s occurring?', and on both occasions she most certainly delivered excellent entertainment. I have known Ciara for a very long time and we have a very strong working relationship.
Ciara doesn't understand the technicalities of filmmaking very well, so therefore she leaves that up to us and just does as she is asked to do which is good. Ciara will do great things to make this production good.

The questions we asked the main character

Why would you be good for the role?
I would be good for this role as I have done previous things in acting so I have a bit of experience, drama is also my passion I love acting I think that is it amazing what you can create in yourself. I also really enjoy watching dramas on television.

What acting experience do you have that will assist you with this role? 
I have studied drama for gcse and now currently doing a level drama at school I also attend stagecoach outside of school which I really enjoy and in the future really want to go to university to study musical theatre. I also have acted in two previous films which I have learnt a lot from, I am always up for learning more and trying out new things.

Have you considered how you could show the character successfully through your body language and voice?
I will try and make myself look particularly vulnerable. When I am kidnapped I will act scared and worried.

How does you character relate to the usual characters commonly featured in this genre?
I have acted in 2 previous horror films and so have done similar things to this before, my specific character is commonly used in horror films as I am just a normal teenage girl and so lots of people can relate to me.

This is Ed, he is one of the main characters, he plays the old weird man who follows Cath and abducts her. We thought that Ed would be very good at this role as he looks older and he is very tall therefore with the right costume we can make him look very intimidating. Our film fits the stereotypical codes and conventions of a horror/action film as he is the attacker and our girl character is the victim. Ed doesn't have much experience in drama however he is very charismatic and well spoken. His confidence allows him to be a great actor for our film. Ed also studies at Glyn Sixth form and knows Ciara who plays our other main character very well. As a group we thought this would be beneficial as it would make it easier for them to work together and get along. 

The questions we asked the main character


Why would you be good for the role?
I think i would be good for the role because i'm willing to give it a try. I would say that i'm quite confident person therefore I wouldn't have any problem with acting. 

What acting experience do you have that will assist you with this role? 

Even though I have not had much experience in acting it has been one of my interests for a long time. I like to challenge myself and I believe that playing this role would do so.

Have you considered how you could show the character successfully through your body language and voice?

I'm rather tall therefore I think I could make myself look intimidating and creepy especially with the use of costume and props. Also, my voice is quite deep therefore I can make my character sound old and scary, especially at the end when i have to say "I've got her now".