Evaluation - Question 7

Evaluation - Question 7

Looking back at your pre-lim task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

After i had finished the pre-lim task, I had a lot of time to go over everything about how I made our preliminary task from the plot to the camera shots and angles that I used during this project.

Overall there is a lot that I have learnt since our pre-lim task, and one of the main things that I personally think I have learnt how to create a more professional looking movie and have also learnt how to work more professionally when it comes to making a movie or clip in general.

I have learnt that when it comes to making a movie, that everything is very important and plays a part in making the film look more professional and appealing with everything from camerawork to sound. it is also very important to stick to the codes and conventions of the genre of the film, because this is what makes a film more appealing and professional as well.

Another thing that I have learned is planning is also very important. When we were planning our pre-lim task, we lacked in detail and it caused us to be unsure on what we were doing during filming and also caused a lot of stress within our group because we didn't have a clear path to go down and achieve our end goal. However when it came to us doing this final piece, we learned from our mistakes as a group and planned a lot more, we created a film schedule, planned the locations, costumes, props, actors, equipment and anything else that would be needed to create our film and made sure we all knew what we doing before we even pulled a camera out to start recording. Each member of the group was clear on what they needed to do and we had that clear path as a group to reach our final goal, this also helped relieve a lo of stress compared to the last time of filming for our pre-lim and we were also less rushed into filming and used the time we had efficiently. Even though our start of was poor we were able to bring it back as a group and meet our deadlines and in the end of the filming phase after we had completed our final piece, we were all proud with what we had accomplished.

A lot of research also went into the audience that we were aiming our film towards and this also helped us create a better project than our pre-lim task as we conformed parts of our film around our target audience which helped us make a more professional and appealing final piece.

Another thing I personally think I learnt was how to work effectively in a group because in our pre-lim task we didn't really talk and work together as a group to create a plot we were all happy with, we just wrote down a few ideas and then picked one and stuck to it. Whereas this time when it came to our final piece, we communicated effectively and planned each and every part of our film as a group and took on board everyone's thoughts and ideas to create a film we all had a influence in and where no one was left out.

Evaluation - Question 6

Evaluation - Question 6

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

To create this final piece, i used some technology that i had used previously, but i also used some new pieces of technology which i had not used before. To create the final piece we used a software called "I Movie" which allowed us to put all of recorded videos on the computer and then edit them, piece them together and add what ever else was needed to create our final video. I have had previous expieriance with "I movie" as I had also used it during my GCSE film course when we had to create a film for our final piece, so this technology for me was easy to use and I had no trouble working on this software. This software was good and helped our film look more professional, this is because it allowed us to get all of our clips that had been recorded and then edit them until they were prefect, wether that was trimming them so they wernt so long and we had what we needed, cutting up the clip to make it look like the scenes were jumping like towards the end of our film, or adding effects on the scenes to make it look like they were from the past like the scenes in the beginning of our film, or when we increased or decreased the speed on the scenes to make it look more professional, like the scene where Tommy cuts Emily's throat. This all helped our film look more professional because it made sure the film always had something important happening, and it made the film more enjoyable to view and more professional because time had been taken to edit it and make it better than just a few recordings stuck together and played. 

We also used another piece of software during the creation of our film and this was called "Motion". This is a video software where you can create title sequences or professional looking clips where you can include text and pictures. I had never had any experiance with motion before and was unaware of how to use the software and did find it difficult to use at first, but we only used it to create the title sequence and picture collage and it quickly became easy to understand the more I used it, and eventually it was used to create a very successful part of our film. This software did help our film look and be presented more professional because it enabled us to really go into depth with the details of the picture collage scene and the title sequence. It gave us a smooth transition between the pictures in the collage and the title sequence, which helped our film look more professional. We did come into a problem when I tried to speed up the scenes as the motion file was originally to long and would have made our final piece go over our time limit, but when I tried to speed up the transitions and effects within the motion clip, it wouldn't work so I had to export the file, upload it into "I movie" and then edit the clip from there before re exporting it and then uploading it into the main final project. Although it caused some hastle and was hard to use, it replaced the basic and dull title sequence that we had to use from "I movie" and did improve our film by making it look more professional and enabling us to have a lot more customisation with our title sequence.

Another software called "Adobe Photoshop" was also used during the creation of our film to help the picture collage scene. We had planned to take pictures of both Tommy and Brooke as a couple but they all looked the same because of the scenery and wether, therefore we used photoshop to place both Brooke and Tommy on a bench in a park and add more of a differance between the pictures that were used. "Photoshop" is a software that is very easy for me to use as I use it in almost all my subjects and have had to use it also in previous subjects very often. With the use of this program enabling us to edit the photos we were able create a more professional looking collage due to the photos each individually looking differant and also professional. It also helped us improve our final piece as we were able to make the photo collage look more realistic and believable to the audience. 

One of the main pieces of technology we used was the video cameras. These cameras were high grade and recorded in high definition, this enabled us to capture footage which we would use within our final piece that would look clear and professional. I have had previous experience with video cameras as I took a film GCSE course and used video cameras within this course to create a final piece, however I had never used a high grade camera like this before. The camera was very easy to use as it has a basic start/stop recording button and we only really used it to capture footage. Using this camera really did help make our film look more professional because the quality of the video was in clear high definition. The camera also had a flexible screen so we could place it on the floor but flip the screen around, this way we could still see what was being recoded without having to lay on the floor with the camera and because of this we were able to capture footage from all angles with ease and still looking professional. Using this camera compared to a standard, handheld camera did improve our final piece because it enabled us I capture high qaulity and professional footage from any angle and shot with great ease.

Evaluation - Question 5

Evaluation - Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

To attract my specific targeted audience we included certain elements within our clip to attract and appeal to them in general. We focused mainly on the creation of the film, for example in the film we used a lot of handheld shots, this is because this is a specific convention of the "Gothic Horror" genre and also it's great at making the audience feel like they are right in the movie with the charcters. We chose to do this because it would stand out to the audience, make the film more like a clasic "Gothic Horror" so they would enjoy it more and also to make the film different from other films which tend to use a lot of static pans and crane shots because this adds more of a observation feel to the films whereas ours makes the audience feel up close and person with the charcters and is great at building tension. 

We also focused a lot on editing, we used a lot of specail effects on different scenes within our film to make parts of the film either look from the last like the opening scenes in the beginning of our film, or a little bit freaky and paranormal like towards the end of our film when Emily is walking down the road. We also used a lot of white flashes and straight cuts to help the scenes transitions appear more smoother, professional and also more sudden. This was done to help attract our audience because it kept the tension built while not making the scene drag along and cause the audience to get bored, they were quick and fast paced so the audience pay attention aswell as build tension for the viewers. 

During the time of researching, we also created a questionnaire which was handed out to students of our college to try and get their views on the "Gothic Horror" genre and what they want to see in this genre. This was also useful because the ages of the college members was inside our target audience age gap aswell so they were useful to us. Almost every questionnaire that was given back to us showed that the person answering this questionnaire liked "Gothic Horror" films and they all pretty much awnsered with the same awnsers, the questionnaires that we got back showed that everyone enjoyed how "Gothic Horrors" were "scary" and created a lot of tension within the audience as they included "jump scares" and caught the audience off guard. The questionnaires also helped us as they showed us that our audience thought that a good plot and storyline was really important in making a good "Gothic Horror" film and this also influenced our choice of plot because we wanted a intriguing and drama filled plot, that still enabled us to conform to the "Gothic Horror" conventions.

To help us target our audience we conformed to the "Gothic Horror" conventions so that we would appeal to our target audience as this is what makes them enjoy a "Gothic Horror" film. We also made everything within our film more modernised to help appeal to our target audience more. This is shown by the costume for example, the costume within this film that we created uses casual and a more modern sense of dress instead of old leathery clothing because this will appeal more towards a modern day audience as well as the younger side of my target audience. We also used the location to help target our audience as our film is set within a city whereas typically "Gothic Horror" films are usually set in an isolated or abandoned area.

One key scene that was in our final piece, was the killing of the bride. This scene is unsuspected and also creates a lot of tension as it catches viewers of guard and also the violence in the scene draws them into watching more. This scene is also effective because of the special effects on the scene, it Is sped up and also this is when we first see the screen change to black and white, this is to catch the viewers attention with the sudden change and also to make them interested to why this person has been killed, it also could stand out to our audience because the protagonist is close up to the screen and the audience would recognise this as a key scene because of the significance and detail that went into her killing.

Another key scene is when Tommy and Brooke both go for a walk and as they begin to exit through the door there is a white flash and the music starts playing as Emily appears. This would help intrigue our audience because this is the first time we see the "ghost" and it also shows the genre to the audience. it also happens suddenly and would surprise the audience and gain their attention.

Evaluation - Question 4

Evaluation - Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

After doing a lot of research into who our film would be most suitable for, and who our film would target, we created a film that would target both male and female audiences, this is because of the equal focus and division of both male and female characters within the film. This helps our movie target both genders as an audience because it not focused on appealing to one specific gender, it actually focuses on appealing to both hence why there is a equal amount of male and female characters on screen during most of the film, and there's a equal amount of male and female main characters as well to make the story more appealing to both genders. This is very different to typical "Gothic Horror" films as usually they target only a male audience by using the female gender more within the characters. Therefore by appealing to both male and female audiences equally, we also subverted the conventions of "Gothic Horror".

We also researched into the age groups that we would target with our film piece and then decided that our film would be aimed at the age group of 16 year olds and over. We based the creation of our final piece around this age group as well and this also helped us conform to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film. Stereotypically, adults are the main age targeted with these types of film and to make our film appeal to this type of audience as well as the younger adults, we matched conventions of the "Gothic Horror" genre and also added a modern twist so that we could also appeal to a wider range of audience. During our research we also looked at the different types of certificate ratings and ages that films are rated and decided that the film certificate for our film should be a 12A because our film does include some scenes of violence and death but they are not hugely focused and dwelled on, there also isn't any reference to sexual activity or drugs so the film couldn't be pushed to a 15 age certificate as it does not meet the standard requirements.

Our film also aims at certain stereotypical backgrounds of people as well as age and gender, typically a "Gothic Horror" film aims towards two main backgrounds as these certain stereotypical backgrounds of people tend to enjoy "Gothic Horror" the most. Typically this genre of film aims at a "Gothic" audience as they typically tend to enjoy this genre of film the most, also normal "Horror" fans would also be targeted by this genre as it also appeals to them because of the conventions that make it a "Gothic Horror" genre. The film we created also follows these same conventions and is aimed at this same background of audience, because they are the main audience to a "Gothic Horror" film and these conventions are what please the audience who are watching this genre of film.

The film that we created for our final piece doesn't have targeted ethnic background, as there is not a chosen background to target in the codes and conventions of "Gothic Horror". Therefore most "Gothic Horror" films also have no ethic background to target. This is also the same when it comes to the class of an audience or the job they have. The "Gothic Horror" genre aims to please as many people as they can, while sticking true to the conventions that make a gothic horror so unique. Therefore they have no class of audience, no ethnicity of an audience or job background within a audience that they singularly focus on because to make a enjoyable "Gothic Horror" film, you don't need to focus on a specific audience that in depth, also if they did go into that depth, it could lower the audience that they could target and could affect how successful there film is.

I am very clear and confident on what type of audience I am aiming to target with my media piece, and what about this audience makes them find a "Gothic Horror" film appealing. This is because the research that was carried out during the making of our film was very thorough and all of the information that we gathered and based our film off came from reliable sources like film databases and verified reliable websites. During the period when I was researching what makes a "Gothic Horror" film and the conventions that have to be followed to create this genre of film, I gathered information about how "Gothic Horrors" are unique and different from other films, what codes and conventions they have and also the audience they aim at and the characteristics of this audience.

I also did a lot of research into other "Gothic Horror" films and looked in depth at three main "Gothic Horror" films, these were "The Woman In Black", "The Conjuring" and "Van Helsing". They all conformed to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film and all pretty much targeted the same audience, because these conventions that they followed helps appeals to this type of audience. The "Woman In Black" had a age rating of a 12A after 6 seconds of the clip was removed to change it from a 15 to a 12A to reduce the level of violence in the film and make it available to more people, "The conjuring" was rated at a 15 and "Van Helsing" was also rated at a 12 so this also further supports that the target audience for my film is right and accurate.

Evaluation - Question 3

Evaluation - Question 3

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

Overall I looked at two major and known production companies that could have distributed my media product. one of these company's was called "Hammer Film Production's" and they specialize in "Gothic Horror" films and were also the ones who produced "The Woman In Black". They were very big and popular in the past when it came to "Gothic Horror" films but then went downhill and became almost a thing of the past, until they came flying back into the scene with the release of "The Woman In Black" and the success it had. The other production company I looked at for my film, was "Warner Brothers pictures". Now "Warner Brothers" is a much larger and well known company and they specialise in all types of films from cartoons to horrors. They were also responsible for the production of another successful film I analysed called "The Conjuring". But are not largely known for their horror films, the are well known mainly for the action and superhero films the produce like the "Batman" and "Superman" franchises.

The "Woman In White" movie we would have created would be released globally, this because that way we would have a much larger audience to appeal to and could have a lot more viewers than if it was just released in the UK. Part of the "Woman In Blacks" success was that it was also released globally and a lot more people watched and enjoyed it than if they were just to release it in the UK. "Hammer horror" was the production company we chose to produce and distribute our film as they specialized in our chosen genre of "Gothic Horror" and their mission statement as a company is to revitalize "Gothic Horror" within the film world, so making this film available globally would have also benefited them and helped them stick to their mission statement as well.

Usually a "Gothic Horror" film appeals to a certain audience and age group, it typically appeals to people in the age range of 16-30 as its not really a type of film you would want a young kid to watch, also some older adults may find this to scary for their liking. This type of film, typically is focused towards "Goths" and the "Gothic" side of film watchers, also "Horror" fans enjoy this type of film as well. This is because some features within these films or conventions they have to abide by may make some viewers feel uncomfortable and there are a lot of people that don't like "Gothic Horrors" because they are scary and sometimes creepy films. Therefore this film genre usually appeals and targets these specific audiences because their personalities and how they are known to enjoy these films.

The film that we have created for our final piece is a mainstream film, and this is because of how we wish to appeal to a wide audience. There are specific features within the film which perhaps could make it look more like a independent film like the handheld shots, but this is only so we conform to the "Gothic Horror" genres codes and conventions. We also based a large part of our film off of inspiration from both "The Woman In Black" and also "The Conjuring" and both of these films were also mainstream "Gothic Horrrors" as well. They were both widely released in cinemas across the world and were very popular with great effects and looks worth thier high production value. "The Woman In Black" was produced by "Hammer film productions" and "The Conjuring" was also produced by "Warner Brothers Pictures". Both of these companies are mainstream production companies and they have even worked together before to produce films. However "Warner Brothers Pictures" is a lot more known and has a wider fan base because of how many more films of all differant types of genres they produce. But overall I chose "Hammer Film Productions" to produce my product, as they specialise in the "Gothic Horror" genre and even though they have been out of the film industry for a very long time, they are sparking a return after releasing 3 largely successful films since 2010 which were "Let me in", "The Resident" and lastly, "The Woman In Black".

Evaluation - Question 2

Evaluation - Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Within our final piece we had four actors, the four actors were myself, Emily Rawles, Tommy Brading and Brooke Spencer. So we as a group also took the role of the actors which worked out for us very well. When deciding who would play what role, we decided that Emily would play the main role of the "Woman In White", Tommy would take the role of the killer, Brooke would take the role as the sister of the bride, also the killers romantic partner and I would take the role of the groom. We chose to use our group members as the actors as we were all confident that we could create a good final piece using our own performances, we also chose to use our own group members because that way we didn't have to rely on other people as a group to be in on the day of filming or have the correct costume.

We decided Emily would play the part of the "Woman In White" as she was less camera shy than our other female member Brooke, she had also had experience with acting as she had taken a GCSE drama course which meant she had some experience in acting and she did deliver a professional performance for our final piece which was key in helping us conform to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film.

We decided that Tommy would play the role of the killer within our final piece, and the main reason for this decision was that Tommy is a very confident person who wouldn't freeze up and hesitate in front of a camera. This meant that he would have been able to give a good performance without being troubled and camera shy during filming.


As a group, we decided to have Brooke play the role of the brides sister and the killers romantic partner. We made this decision because Brooke had also taken a GCSE drama course so also had experience with acting but didn't like the idea of taking the main role in the final piece as she was a little camera shy, therefore we decided to give her this role because it she would be able to use her drama skills without having the pressure of the main role.

As a group we decided that I would play the part of the groom within the final piece as I was the least confident member of the group with acting, also I was the most confident with using the technology to film the scenes and organizing each of the scenes to make sure they were done correctly. Therefore I took this role as it was the least seen character and still gave me a chance to feature in the film.

We were inspired to create our final piece due to a current and popular film named "The Woman In Black". Most members of our group had seen this film and we all agreed that it was a great film which represented "Gothic Horror" successfully. Also to us it seemed easily achievable to create a film that came from the inspiration from the idea of "The Woman In Black". This is also where the inspiration of our film name "The Woman In White" came from. Also some of our storyline was inspired from this film and the factor that inspired us was the use of someone from the afterlife haunting another character. This is why our storyline consisted of Emily being killed and then coming back from the dead to haunt Tommy and Brooke for revenge.

We were also inspired by another film we looked at in depth called "The Conjuring". During our film just before the title sequence there is a small photo collage section and then a photo of me and Emily (the bride and the groom) which turns from normal to distorted and scratched. We were inspired to do this because "The Conjuring's" title sequence is a series of photos and newspaper articles from the past which gave some backstory to the film, so we thought that in our clip, we would add photos of Brooke and Tommy as a couple so the viewers would be clear on there relationship and also the photo of me and Emily as it was a nice touch and helped us conform to our conventions as it showed the "Horror" and "Afterlife" side of our film. This film was also what inspired us to use the "old" and "grainy" effect on the beginning of our title sequence and photo of me and Emily as it looked more effective and professional than black and white to show the scene was in the past.

Our character "The Woman In White" was similarly based on the ghost from "The Woman In Black" however we did make some changes to make it our own idea. For example the character of "The Woman In Black" is a older aged mother who lost her kids due to them walking out a window. Then her son was also killed so her spirit haunts this abandoned house waiting to somehow get piece and claim a new child to call her own. The character we created, the "Woman In White" is a woman and sister who was killed on the day of her wedding just before the ceremony and then she comes back from the dead to get revenge on the killer. so they are both similar but different and one of the main differences is "The Woman In Black" wears all black, and our character, "The Woman In White" wears all white. This is the only character that we had been inspired to create but it worked successfully and we are proud with the way the character turned out.

Our characters in "The Woman In White" do match some stereotypes of a common "Gothic Horror" film. For example, typically men would be more likely to watch this film and this is because the main protagonist is female. Therefore  it would appeal more to men as a woman would typically be on the screen almost all the time and this would also use the theory of "The male gaze" to its advantage. Stereotypically gothic people and also horror fans are the main groups of people that would watch this type of movie, however we have altered our film and added modern touches, similar to "The Woman In Black" to gain more of an audience and reach out to more people in other groups as well as common "Gothic Horror" fans.

Evaluation - Question 1

Evaluation - Question 1

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

For our final piece, we created a film called "The Woman In White" and throughout the creation of this film we conformed to conventions of a Gothic Horror film as much as we possibly could from with the use of everything from the shots used to the sound used within our film.

To help us conform to the conventions of the "Gothic Horror" film genre, we analysed  a total of 3 different other "Gothic Horror" films which inspired us when developing our ideas and filming for our final piece. I also looked into the actual codes and conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film to find out what really makes a "Gothic Horror" film so different and unique. Typically within Gothic Horror films, camera shots are typically handheld, also zooms and birds eye establishing shots are also commonly used. There is also a lot of shots used within this genre. Close ups, over the shoulders and longs shots are used throughout "Gothic Horror" films and you can also see these shots used a lot within the clips I analysed. Within my film we matched a lot of conventions seen throughout these clips and focused on sticking to the conventions of "Gothic Horror" films.

Here are two "over the shoulder" shots, one of me getting ready, and another of Emily getting ready for the wedding in our film. These were very useful because it enabled us to show the audience that these two characters are getting ready for something without having a 10 second close up of each character getting ready. This shot also foreshadows later events because its gives off an impression as if something or someone is lurking behind one of these characters or, something or someone is watching them. This helps us conform to our genre because it creates a uncomfortable atmosphere, and over the shoulder shots were also used in all three clips I analysed so this also matches other examples of the "Gothic Horror" genre. In these clips we also added a "Grainy" and "Old" camera effect to make these clips look from the past and to show the audience that this is a backstory into the film and also to show that something significant will happen in this clip to develop the story later on within the film. This also helps conform to the "Gothic Horror" genre because of the colour within these scenes being dull and not very bright, much like the clips I analysed as within these clips, there isn't a lot of bright colours used. The "Gothic Horror genre tends to use dull brown, black and other dark colours like grey to make the film give of a "dark" feel about it.

Close ups are also used within the "Gothic Horror" genre and are used typically to highlight a significant event or a significant object. They are also used to show a characters emotion but only during edgy scenes where something unexpected is going to happen. So during within our clip we included two close up at major points, one as Tommy uses the knife to cut Emily's throat just before the wedding and another of Tommy's hand with the knife in it as he walks away.  These conform to our conventions because its during a fast paced scene and also unexpected, it catches the audience off guard and highlights the fact that she has been killed. It also conforms to the conventions because its violent and horrific which some viewers could make some viewers feel uncomfortable and on edge. This is also much like a clip from a chosen extract I analysed from "The Conjuring" where the camera goes to a close up of the creatures face on top of the wardrobe which scares the audience as its unexpected but we are seeing her up close and personal very quickly. Its also similar to "The Woman In Black" when we see close ups of the toys because once again it foreshadows the event of the monkey toy going off unexpectedly and causing the audience to be startled. Close ups are even used effectively in the "Van Helsing" clip I analysed when we see a close up of the wolfs face right before he jumps out and attacks at speed. So close ups are effective as they highlight a significant event in the clip and can also be used to scare the audience, which conforms to the conventions of "Gothic Horror" films.

Long shots are also used within the "Gothic Horror" genre as they can show charters in a full frame but also things like locations, people or props behind them in the background. here on the left there are two long shots used within my clip. One of Tommy as he walks away from Emily after killing her and another one of Tommy and Brooke going for a walk and Emily's ghost making its first appearance to haunt them. These are effective because they both show main characters within the story and also help carry the story along. For example in the top photo Tommy is walking away from Emily's body, which to the audience signifies that Tommy has now killed Emily. in the next shot, Tommy and Brooke who were both part of the kill are going for a walk when Emily appears behind them to haunt them, but they are unaware of this. This is also similar to a clip from "The Woman In Black" where the main character is ripping wallpaper off the wall to discover a message and then takes a few steps back and stares at the message on the wall written in blood, this is effective because it shows both the character and also a significant event to help move the story along. Much like "The Conjuring" when the camera goes into a long shot, of the man running into the house as he hears the girls screaming because this also shows a character and the house behind him, which helps move the story along and shows a significant place. Therefore the long shots I used conform to the "Gothic Horror" conventions and examples I used.

A lot of Mise-en-scene elements are also focused on specifically to help conform to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film. So within our clip we conformed to these conventions as much as we could. To start conforming to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" genre, we focused firstly on the costume we would use in our clip to both match our storyline and also conform to this genre. We decided to put Emily in a white dress which she would wear before and after her death. Usually the evil "spirit" or "character" would  be in dark coloured clothing  like the woman from "The Woman In Black" but we decided to add our own touch and to make our idea different by putting her in a white dress, also because our film was called "The Woman In White" it seemed smart to keep her in a white dress throughout. In ways this doesn't really conform to our conventions, however we did consider this during the choice of costume but decided to develop it and make it different and suit our story more and it was still very effective. We decided to put Tommy, the killer, in full black clothing, this helped us conform to the "Gothic Horror" genre more because of the dark colours used within Tommy's Costume however it still didn't exactly conform to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film as they typically wear old and rich material clothing like full suits, shirts and waistcoats. But considering that we planned to make a more modern version of a "Gothic Horror" film we conformed to the conventions as much as possible. 

There wasn't many props that we used within our clip however the props we did use, which were a knife and fake blood, did conform to the "Gothic Horror" conventions, this is because we had a weapon which could cause pain and then blood to cover Emily in after she had been killed with the knife. we also see similar props used within "The Woman In Black" because of the blood on the wall, and we do not see a knife in the clip but we do see a axe which is also another weapon. We chose to use a knife because it was small and easier to use with the killing scene that anything else like an axe or something. This further shows that we conformed to "Gothic Horror" conventions as we matched examples of the genre.

There also wasn't a major focus on hair and makeup within the creation of our clip, however in "The Conjuring" clip the ghost girls hair looks very messy and dirty, so to create this effect with Emily she curled her hair to make it look more messy than usual. We also didn't have a major focus on makeup but the fake blood we used looked and worked really well and conformed to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" as it highlighted that this character was dead but still from the afterlife. 

The lighting within our clip also helped conform to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film. Typically in this genre of film the lighting is quite dark and gloomy, especially  when the "evil spirit" is present. Within our clip during scenes which don't involve the spirit are normally lit to give the presence of a normal day, however scenes with Emily in, have edits on them to make them more dark and gloomy, this further gives of a "dark" atmosphere when the spirit it present. much like "Van Helsing" as the lighting gets darker and more foggy and misty when the werewolf comes out and attacks. Therefore the lighting we used within our clip does help us to conform to our conventions.

Performance also played a big part within our clip in helping us conform to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film, Emily's performance and Tommy's performance both conformed to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film, this is because Tommy acted mysterious and unexpectedly which made both the kill scene and the scene where he has a conversation between himself and Brooke effective because his identity was a secret until he revealed himself. But what really helped us conform to the "Gothic Horror" conventions was Emily performance as she acted emotionless and "dead" which made it more believable and this is also a convention of a "Gothic Horror" Performance.

Editing play a big part in the "Gothic Horror" genre as films have to be edited to make things and creatures look better than someone in a costume. For example without editing, in "The Woman In Black" it wouldn't have been as scary and startling if there wasn't any special effects on the scenes and they didn't have quick and fast paced transitions. Typically in a "Gothic Horror" film the edits are fast paced and a lot of jump shots and wipes are used because they create tension by making the scenes flow quicker than other scenes. Almost through all of our scenes there was a white flash transition between two shots there was a few jump shots and overall our editing within the clip transitions did conform to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film as they were quick and sharp. They also were effective at creating tension because it kept the clip flowing at a steady speed so the tension would build up and not be lost. We also edited a lot of scenes and put different effects on them like "Grainy", "Black and white", "Sepia" and "X-Ray" which were really effective because they gave the clip a darkened feel to it and highlighted that the start of the clip was set in the past. The edit at the end of the clip where the scene it split up to make Emily jolt forward and the way it flickers between "Sepia" and "X-Ray" is really effective at creating tension as it happens fast and is unexpected which could also make some viewers feel uncomfortable, but with the special effects it makes it look more professional and more "paranormal" which also helps us conform to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film.

Sound was also used within our final piece to help us conform with the "Gothic Horror" conventions. Typically within a "Gothic Horror" film the sound is fast paced and loud to create tension for the audience and keep them on edge because of how creepy the music itself is. Pianos or a choir are typically used within the sound side of this genre because of the high pitched and uncomfortable notes sounds they can make. Within our clip we used two stings, one at the beginning of the clip until the Brooke begins to walk over to Tommy, and another When Emily appears as they go for a walk, they are both similar but also different, for example the Sting at the beginning of the clip is loud, slow and very low pitched, it makes the scenes more terrifying and foreshadows the gruesome killing because it slowly builds tension the more you listen to it. The second Sting when Emily appears is more high pitched and slower, this is also effective because it builds tension and works well with the haunting scenes as its creepy and mysterious. These two stings do conform to the conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film as they build tension and create a "dark" and "ere" atmosphere for the audience to experience. We also used two short sound effects within the clip, one when Emily is walking down the corridor and she hears a bang right before Tommy comes out and kills her, and another at the very end when Emily jolts into a extreme close up of her face. These are both loud, unexpected and happen fast and they are also used to both scare the audience and also create more tension within the audience. These sound effects also help us conform to our conventions of a "Gothic Horror" film as they are fast paced and scare a unsuspecting audience. 



Final piece - The Woman In White

Final piece - The Woman In White

Here is the "Gothic Horror" final piece we created as a group and the name of this film is "The Woman In White"

Technical planning - Font research

Font research for your titles

Font plays a big part in a title sequence, this is because its a way to give the audience an idea of what the whole film is about.

I like this text because of the boldness within the lettering, they really stand out while still containing a spooky aspect to it. Also the way the lettering drips down also is really effective because it reminds me of blood and the element of blood dripping down a wall or something so it contains that aspect of horror.

I like this font because of the scratched effect it has on it and the way the lettering flicks off in a direction really makes it stand out whilst looking all over the place and also looking like someone or something has been clawing at it.

This font is similar to the other two however its more solid whilst still containg a scratched effect to it and this is good because it still has spooky feel to it whilst being clear and it clearly shows the genre of the film.

Most font is quite bold and sharp when it comes to Gothic horror titles, this is because it stands out and the sharpness of the text implies that there is still a sense of danger within this story. Most of the text also has quite a spooky design to it which helps represent Gothic horrors because of the supernatural elements that are present within these films.

Here are some font ideas we tried using

During the creation of our movie we tried and looked at a few different fonts to use within our title sequence, we thought this one above would be good to use because it was bold, jagged and looked like something or someone had been scratching at it, this made it conform to other common Gothic Horror texts like the ones shown above and we also thought it did work well in out film.

This font was another one we found, it is a bit similar to the one above however we wanted one which had similarities with the common Gothic Horror fonts, this one looked a bit more modern than the other because of how it looked more broken than scratched and it had more straighter lines and edges within it that the other. However it was still bold and effective.

This was another font we looked at, we liked it because of how all the letters were different shapes and it had the effect of being broken up. However we thought it looked to modern and was not really fitting with our film genre.

In the end, we chose the top font to be the one featured within our movie piece because it had elements of all the other fonts within it, however it also looked more old and represented the horror side of font more because of the jagged edges it had, it also really matched other common Gothic Horror fonts.

Technical planning - Locations

Locations

This is a table we had for our locations planning, within the table it says where we will be filming, when we would be filming in this area, whether or not we needed permission to film there and what we have to do to the area to make it appropriate for our genre. Once again there was not a lot of locations needed as our title sequence is only around 2 minuets long.

We did at first, plan to film a wedding scene within the colleges dance theater and then have the killing during the wedding ceremony, however this idea was altered after a decision by our choice as a group because it seemed a bit over the top and would have affected the story line to much. It also was changed because we need a lot more actors and more set dressing to do it but it was risky with the time we had to film and it meant we had to rely on a lot of people.

Here are some images of the locations we used in our filming;

The Sixth Form toilets

Here in the sixth form toilets is where we shot both the groom and the bride getting ready for the wedding ceremony. We chose to shoot here because it had a lot of blank walls so the room looked more like a dressing room and because of the mirror as well because it enabled us to get a over the shoulder shot of both charters getting ready.

Sixth Form corridor

We chose to shoot the death scene of the bride within this corridor, this is because it was a where we could have the killer jump out and kill the bride whilst the brides sister, was able to get out the shot without the clip being to long and it worked very well because it was a unexpected killing. The same corridor was also used in the shot where you see the bride dead on the floor and the killer walks away.

Sixth Form roof

Here on the roof is where we shot the scene of the sister talking to the killer and also where we first see the ghost of the bride appear and begin the haunting of the killer and the sister. We chose to use the roof because it was a isolated area which was quiet and mysterious, and it was effective because this is when you find out the truth about who the killer was and the real plan behind the killing.

Diamond road

Here is where we see the killer and the sister taking a walk down the road, whilst unknowingly being haunted by the dead bride. We chose use this location because it was a long pathway where we could capture a shot of the ghost following the couple as they walked down the road.

Technical planning - Props and costumes

Any costumes, props or make up you need to bring in

This is a table we had for our Props and costumes, it shows what we would need to bring in for our film, where we would get or buy this costume or prop, who's responsibility it is to get it and when it would be brought in. we didn't really need many props and costumes as there is not a lot of actors in our title sequence.

These are a few images of some of the costume and makeup that would be used, above there are some images of the dress and the actor before and after the killing, also there is a image of the knife wound after the killing and overall i think these work well because the costume looks really good and helps the actor look like a ghost much like the makeup and the blood does, also the blood looked good and realistic so it worked well.

The costume and makeup Emily used to make herself the "Woman In White" was also really effective because it conformed to Gothic Horror conventions because it made her look creepy and from the afterlife, also the blood on her neck represented her death from the opening of the title sequence.

Technical planning - Filming schedule

Filming schedule

This is a table we had for our filming schedule, within this table it says when we are planning to film, the scene number that we are filming, the characters that are involved in this scene, the location of this scene, what props are needed in this scene, what costumes are needed in this scene, what equipment is needed in this scene and the time it will take to film this scene.

Technical planning - Name of film

Name of the film-why will this appeal to your audience?

The name of our film is "The Woman In White". This would appeal to our audience because its basic yet allusive as it doesn't really tell much about the film, it only suggests it involves a woman and she wears white. It would make the audience interested because not a lot of detail is given in the name but it sounds intriguing. The name of our chosen title conforms to other films within our genre for a few reasons, its similar to a previous Gothic Horror called "The Woman In Black", its illusive as it doesn't really say much about the story, its short and snappy and also sounds quite creepy, it also uses the word "The" to imply its a story, much like "The Conjuring", "The Woman In Black" and "The Shining". This would attract a Gothic Horror audience because it very similar to a lot of well known, and successful Gothic Horror films, and it sounds mysterious so people would want to watch it and find out what its about. The word "White" in the title could also represent the wedding within the actual start of the film because a "Woman" in "White" could be implied as a bride which gives further detail about the films itself and this could even attract more people to watch it because they want to find out what happens on this persons wedding day.

Technical planning - Equipment list

Equipment list

For our film, we would need;

• A camera to film the scenes
• A spare camera battery
• Tri-pod for the camera
• Knife (murder weapon)
• Fake blood
• Brides dress for the wedding
• Groom's suit for the wedding
• Actors for the scene
• I Movie to edit the title sequence

Technical planning - Script

Script

This is the script that we used when creating our title sequence.

Actors

There were a number of people we could have used within our film to be the actors but in the end we used the members of the group which were myself, Emily Rawles, Tommy Bradding and Brooke Spencer. There were a few reasons that we chose to be the actors within the film, we all knew exactly what we wanted to be filmed and what we had to do whilst being filmed, it was easier than explaining what we wanted other actors to do and enabled us to get filming done quicker. Also we didn't have to rely on other people to be in the college or prepared to film for our project and gave us each more responsibility in the group and made each group member valuable.

Technical planning - Storyboard

Storyboard

Technical planning - Synopsis

Synopsis

Our story begins on a wedding day, a bride and a groom are getting ready and the marriage ceremony is just about to begin. As the bride is ready, her sister comes into her dressing room and tells her "Its time". When they begin to walk to the ceremony, the bride stops because she hears a noise, however the sister carry's on walking as she "didn't" hear the noise. Suddenly out of a room jumps a hooded figure who slits the brides throat and walks away leaving her to bleed out. A few years later the murderer gets away with it and goes on with his life and his relationship with the sister of the dead bride, but the bride isn't going to let them get away with murderer, even if she is in the afterlife. So they are completely oblivious to the fact that a ghost haunts them hungry for revenge, until she shows that she's still with them both, and that's where the real story begins.

Target audience research

Target audience

The typical audience of Gothic horror's:

The main target audience for this type of film are people who would happily stand in line to watch this film, Goths/Gothic people, horror fans, people who are into blood and gore. These types of people are the main different types of audience that would watch this film, However the film could be watched by anyone but these are stereo-typically the main audience for this genre. Furthermore, the film is mainly aimed at 16+ because of the content within the movie this is also most Gothic horror films average at 16+ or 18+ age certificate rating. Women are also a big part in this audience because normally the main protagonist is male, so many men wouldn't watch it if there isn't a attractive protagonist to draw in male views using the "Male gaze". However the majority of a Gothic Horrors audience is male as they tend to enjoy watching these types of film more than women.

Who are Hammer horror's target audience?

Hammer Horror's main target audience was also a very typical Gothic horror audience, their films were aimed at young teens and adults (12+) due to Hammer horrors main goal of revitalizing the Gothic horror genre, they really focused on the teen and young adult generations because not only would their types of film appeal to them more, but there was more of this audience and they were also known to go out more, so they would have made their genre more popular and made more money from this audience. They also focussed on these age groups they wanted to get the younger generations into the Gothic Horror genre, so they aimed their films to this audience because they are easier to appeal to them that it is the older generation who do not really watch as many films as the younger generations.

Is the your film meant for people who enjoy the genre or are you trying to show the genre to a new audience?

Overall, the idea of our film is meant for people who currently enjoy the common Gothic Horror films as it contains common features from a typical Gothic Horror like a spooky setting, and a dark atmosphere. However our film could attract other audiences that usually wouldn't watch a Gothic Horror film because of the modern side of our idea. Because our idea is a Gothic Horror set within the 21st century it may not conform to all the conventions of a Gothic Horror like old costumes and old setting and this may make our idea appeal more towards other audiences as well. Our film, like Hammer Horror Productions is aimed towards the ages of 12 and above because our film is going to be a 12A. This is because they are easier to appeal to, and due to the modern view of our film, they would be more likely to enjoy our film than the older viewers.

Questionare and results

Questionnaire

To help us make our idea appeal more towards our target audience we created a questionnaire, this would help us because it would tell us what people expect to happen in a Gothic horror, the things they like to see within the opening of a Gothic horror and weather or not they would like to see a different approach to a Gothic horror and if so, what type of approach this is. This is useful to us because we are able to find out not only what our target audience enjoys seeing in a Gothic horror but also what they want to see in a Gothic Horror and weather they enjoy the common Gothic Horror.

Vox pops video

This is my vox pops video and within this, we asked multiple people 11 questions in total. These were the questions we asked;

1. Do you enjoy watching Gothic Horrors?
2. What do you think of the Woman in Black?
3. After hearing about our film idea, do you like the sound of it or not? why?
4. Do you think the killing of the woman will be to soon?
5. would you change anything of our film idea? If yes why?
6. What's your favourite part of our idea?
7. What is the worst part of our idea for our title sequence?
8. Do you like the story line so far?
9. Do you think the setting matches our film genre?
10. Out of 10, what would you rate our idea overall?
11. Would you like to watch our film opening when it is filmed and finished?

By asking these questions, it helped us figure out what our audience wanted to see and how they thought we could make our idea better. We learned what was good about our idea already like the plot line and the idea of the woman seeking revenge. We also learned what could make our idea better like adding music that creates a dark atmosphere and provokes tension. This really helped us because we learned what that our target audience enjoy spine chilling side of our film, they enjoyed the idea of redemption between the bride and killer. Also knowing what they want to see so it helps our idea become better because we know what appeals to them like the idea of the supernatural haunting is the thing they enjoy most so it would encourage us to show more scenes of that within our film.

Certificate research

The "U" symbol within this logo stands for Universal. A universal film is suitable for a audience aged four years old and above however this type of film could still upset a child as it is impossible to predict what upsets a particular child. Films and videos such as "Tinga Tinga Tales" and "Chuggington" are examples of a video with a "U" certificate. With a "U" certificate video, only infrequent use of very mild language is allowed (e.g 'damn' and 'hell'), A "U" rated video may include characters kissing or cuddling, or there may be references to sexual behaviour, but there will be no overt focus on sexual behavior, language or innuendo. "U" rated videos may include brief and generally mild violence like fight scenes or "Baddies" carrying weapons, but these will only be brief and not really focused on, and there will always be a reassuring resolve after these scenes. There is usually no reference of drugs within a "U" certificated video and they are also unlikely to contain and discriminatory language or behaviour unless it is clearly disapproved of. They also generally contain positive messages about loyalty, honesty and friendship, particularly amongst children.



The "PG" symbol within this logo stands for "Parental Guidance" this means the film or video is suitable for general viewing, however there may be some scenes which may be unsuitable for young children. Not all "PG" films are made with the thought of a young audience in mind so not all of them are made for younger audiences. A "PG" film will not contain any theme which is inappropriate for a child and usually explores challenging issues like bulling, bereavement or racism. In a "PG" film there may be some mild bad language like 'shit' or 'son of a bitch' but the context and delivery are always important. Sexual references are unlikely unless they are un-detailed and infrequent references, also if they are included, children are not likely to understand these references. Violence in a "PG" film will usually mild, there may be some scenes including blood or injury but we would not see the infliction of this pain in great detail. Some "jump" moments and frightening sequences as long as they are not prolonged or intense. In "PG" there might be some innocuous or passing references to illegal drugs or drug misuse, although there will be no strong focus on this.



There are two types of "12" rating, "12" means that this film is not suitable for anyone under the age of 12 years old and "12A" means that this film is not suitable for anyone under the age of 12, however if a adult thinks that their individual child is ok to watch it, then they are permitted only if they are accompanied by an adult. A "12" and "12A" film will not likely include a very dark or unsettling tone which could disturb the audience. Strong language like 'f***' would be passed at a "12" and "12A" depending on the manner it is used on. Moderate language like 'bitch' and 'twat' is also allowed in this rating. Any discriminatory language or behaviour will not be endorsed within this rating. furthermore, any homophobic or racist terms are unlikely to be passed within this rating unless it is clearly condemned. Sex within a "12" and "12A" may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Verbal sexual references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. There may also be brief nudity in a "12A" film but nudity in a sexual content should only be brief and discreet. Within a "12" and "12A", Moderate violence is allowed but it should not dwell on detail. there should also be no main focus on blood and injuries, however, occasional gory moments may be permitted if they can be justified by their context (e.g brief sights of bloody injuries in a medical drama). Some horror films are passed within this category, as long as horror sequences are not too frequent or sustained and the overall tone is not disturbing.



The "15" rating means that this film or video is not suitable for anyone under the age of 15 years old. No theme within a "15" is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds. Within a "15" rated film issues like;

• Strong violence
• Frequent strong language (e.g f***)
• Portrayals of sexual activity
• Strong verbal references to sex
• Sexual nudity
• Brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
• Discriminatory language or behaviour
• Drug taking

Are commonly seen. There is a great deal of strong language allowed within the "15" rating and there is no upper limit on the number of uses of strong language (e.g f***). Occasionally there may be uses of stronger terms (e.g c***) depending on the manner in which they are used, who is using the language and its frequency. There may be racist, homophobic and other discriminatory language within this category however on the whole, it must not endorse this behaviour. Sexual activity at "15" can be portrayed, but it is usually without strong detail and some sex scenes can be quite long within this category. There can also be strong sexual references to sex and sexual behaviour, but strong or crude references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. At "15" violence may be strong, it shouldn't dwell on the infliction of pain or injury, however the strongest gory images are unlikely to be accepted. Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. Sexual violence may be may be included by detailed verbal references  but any portrayal depiction of sexual violence must be discreet and justified by context. Within a "15" drug taking may be shown but it must not promote or encourage drug misuse and the misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances like aerosols or solvents is unlikely to be acceptable in a "15".

"18" rated films are made for adults, no one under the age of 18 is allowed to see these films at the cinema or buy them. No "18" film is suitable for children. No theme is prohibited at "18" adults are free to choose their own entertainment provided the material is not illegal or harmful. Within "18" films issues like; 

• Very strong violence
• Frequent strong language and very strong language (e.g f*** or c***)
• Strong portrayals of sexual activity
• Scenes of sexual violence
• Strong horror
• Strong blood and gore
• Real sex (in some circumstances)
• Discriminatory language and behaviour

are commonly seen within a "18". There is no limit to the number of uses of strong (e.g f***) or even very strong (e.g c***) which can be passed at "18". There may be racist, homophobic or discriminatory language at "18" however the discrimination must not breach any relevant legislation. There can be strong and detailed portrayals of sex at "18", including full nudity. Very strong, crude and explicit sex references allowed at "18". Strong violence can be portrayed with strong detail at "18". Even dwelling on the infliction of pain, injury, or scenes of strong sadistic or sexual violence. Strong gory images are permitted in this category. At "18" horror films may contain very strong horror, gore and sustained threat. At "18" drug taking may be shown but on the whole it should not promote or encourage drug misuse. Very dangerous behaviour which if copied could poses a credible harm risk may be cut from a "18" rating film. Occasionally cuts are made to "18" rated films and DVD'S, this usually happens if the material is in breach of a criminal law or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence, if the material could appear to us to risk to harm individuals, or if there are a lot of explicit images of sexual activity which can not be justified by context.

Our Film:

Overall i think our film could be a 15 because of the violence within the title sequence when the bride gets her throat cut, this isn't really suitable to be viewed by anyone under the age of 15 as some people may find it quite disturbing. However there are no drug or sexual references that will be present in our film what so ever so it could be argued that our film could also be a 12 or 12A. In my personal opinion, i think our film should be a 12A this is because yes there may be some scenes of violence and death but they will only be brief and not really dwelled on. There will be no or minimal reference to sexual activity or drug taking so it doesn't really meet the 15 criteria fully, so therefore, i think a 12A is the most suitable certificate for our film idea.