Apocalypse
Sam was responsible for the apocalypse moodboard; in the process of creating the moodboard Sam gathered several images of which are often found in apocalyptic films such as aliens, zombies, infected animals, as well as an empty road.
Human Monster
Michelle did the moodboard for the human monster sub genre; she has included images from successful human monster films displaying the antagonist and how they often hide behind a mask. This would be one of the easiest genres to do for our project however it may also look amateur as we previously attempted a human monster genre in our first AS year, looking back on it now it does not appear to be on the same standard as our demonic possession film The Enemy therefore we are unlikely to pursue this sub genre.
Demonic Possession
I created the moodboard for demonic possession as I also created the moodbaord for the same sub genre last year; therefore I had a basic idea of what to include in the image. I like Michelle and Sam took images of which are often found and represent characteristics of my chosen sub genre e.g. screaming, fire, demons, death and deformity.
Original Ideas
Michelle and Sam both created mind maps illustrating our ideas for the apocalyptic and demonic possession genre. I did not complete a mind map for the human monster genre as we eliminated it as a group as we felt that the we would be able to produce a better, more intriguing trailer for the other genres. Both Sam's and Michelle's mind maps are shown below showing some of our groups original ideas for our film trailer including camera angles, narrative structure and settings etc.
After looking at all of our mood boards we still couldn't decide which sub genre to follow, we were stuck between Demonic Possession and Apocalypse. Therefore between the group we made two mind maps showing the different ideas that we had for the two sub genres so that we could then make a final decision afterwards. The sub-genre that I mainly focused on coming up with a trailer,poster and magazine cover for was Demonic Possession. The first thing that we though of when considering the sub-genre Demonic Possession was using the narrative that we had created from our AS Coursework, an opening sequence to a film which we originally called 'Ouija' however after filming we then changed to 'The Enemy'. We felt that this would be a good idea as we could use previous cast members as we know that they would be reliable, and we also thought that we would be able to create a good atmosphere in our trailer with some of the settings that we had in mind. For example; the shed where we would be able to make a good use of mise-en-scene.
Sam was responsible for creating a mind map to present our original ideas for the sub-genre Apocalypse. The main hook of the trailer for apocalypse would be that there was a water virus that was killing everybody.
Another idea of Sam's was that we would try to create a news room so that it would make the virus look realistic as it was being spoken about on the news.
One of the main shots that Sam thought would be ideal was starting and ending the trailer with the same shot, a close-up of a tap dripping out the virus water. Film Titles
Originally we were to name our film ‘Nemesis’ however it clashed with our films slogan of “A necessity becomes a nemesis”. As the title and slogan clashed we researched several water viruses and found ‘Sparganosis’. Sparganosis is an infection which is spread by the contamination of water therefore we believed it would be appropriate for the name of our film. As well as being linked to the main theme of our film it is also a unique title of which is not associated with any other films such as Nemesis with Star Trek: Nemesis.
StoryboardTo make sure that we are organised and well prepared when we go to do our filming, we created a storyboard so that we would have a rough idea of what shots we need to. In our storyboard we included different types of shots and wrote down what dialogue would be in each of the shots. As well as this, we also added in where we would have different titles showing.
Our Original Storyboard:
In our original storyboard we also decided that we would have shots of isolated places with no sound to create a dramatic effect.
We also decided that we would have a voice-over at the beginning of the trailer saying 'A Necessity Becomes a Nemesis'. We thought that this would be a catchy opening line to keep the audience interested.
Our New Storyboard:
In our new storyboard we decided to have our news shot at the opening, with a lot of dialogue in, this is so that the audience are made aware what the trailer is going to be about and tells the audience the important part of the story.
We are going to use a green screen when filming this shot, we are also going to make up our own news channel.
In our new storyboard we also decided that we would have flashing titles coming up on the screen, to help support the genre of our horror, for example 'Will Anyone Survive?' hints that there may be deaths in the film. 
We decided to still use some of the ideas from our original storyboard as we felt that they are still going to be necessary in the trailer as they will help to tell the story and have a dramatic effect. For example, we felt that isolated shots are still necessary, as well as this, close up shots of water are still going to be needed as water is one of the main themes in the film.
Shooting Script
We have created a shooting script so that we will all be aware of what we are going to be shooting on what days and what actors are required. The shooting scrip also includes where we are going to be shooting, and also if any dialogue is going to be in what we are filming. Our shooting script shows that we will be starting our filming on Tuesday 8th March. Some of the locations that we need for our filming include, The River Cole, Park Hall Academy (using the green screen) and isolated settings such as Beechcroft Park and the Bombhole.
Call Sheets
Shooting Schedule
Locations
We plan to use a variety of locations, as we feel that a large amount of locations are necessary to make a successful trailer.
The River Cole:
We are going to do some filming at the River Cole, we think that this will be a good location, as it is local and therefore easy to get to, as well as this, it will allow us to get some good clips of different water flowing, and it is also an isolated setting.
Other places that we are going to film, include using a green screen at Park Hall Academy, to film our news reporters and then we can change the background to make it appear more realistic. As well as this, we are also going to use a plain brick wall based by the Spitfire Pub in Parkfield so that we can create a shadow. We have tried to make sure that all of the locations that we plan to use are going to be easy for us to access and that we are not going to have any trouble trying to find them. The majority of locations we are planning to use are local and therefore we will not have to waste alot of time travelling to get to them. Another location that we are going to be using is somebodies bathroom or kitchen where a tap is available so we can get our opening shot of tap dripping, this will be an important location as it will set
what the theme of the film is going to be about.
When we film the news reporters we need to make sure that Chloe will be available at the same time as us. All three of us in the group need to be there, Sam will be playing a news reporter and then either myself or Michelle will be filming and the other directing. When we film this part we will need to make sure that the green screen is available and that nobody else will be in the room. Other props that will be needed for some of the scenes, are things such as an empty water bottle. Since we pitched the idea of having two news readers we changed our minds as we believed that by getting one news reporter it looks as though the television channel has rushed to get someone in quickly to announce the news of the pandemic, this therefore creates a higher sense of panic for those watching and helps to set the atmosphere of which we were hoping to achieve.
For the rest of the trailer however we will require common every day clothes as then it will create a sense of realism amongst the audience of which we were hoping to achieve as the pandemic has swept the world and therefore will affect the entire population who would be expected to dress 'casually'.
Other clothes which we require are baggy, loose/cut clothing for the shadow which rises in the film to show that they have been through a transformation and do not follow therefore do not fit the stereotypical norm of fitted clothing; by doing this it allows us to make a clear distinction that the shadow is an antagonist as they are not dressed as the protagonist is shown in previous shots with fitted clothing.
Also as we film we will add several other pieces of mise en scene such as pillows, food, a laptop and other household materials in the shots showing Michelle in both mine and her house, this again helps to add a sense of realism to the film as these are typical things which are found in the every day home again making the trailer and shot more believable.
For the trailer the main acting roles have been allocated to me, Sam and Michelle. By doing the majority of acting ourselves we reduce the risk that people will be unavailable when we have to film or re-film any unsuccessful and extra shots. As well as this, by using ourselves as the actors we will be able to portray the characters and messages within the trailer in the way which we imagine them.
Michelle Roberts: Michelle will play the part of the final girl in the film, of which we are going to try to make apparent to the audience by including her in the majority shots of the trailer. Michelle was selected to play this part in the trailer as she has studied drama for a number of years and therefore will be able to follow any acting directions given and will know about body positioning for when she is being filmed. Michelle also had previous experience of playing the final girl in our production last year which we felt went extremely well, therefore we will use her again hoping for a smiliar outcome this year.
Sam Sadler: Sam will stand in and play one of the infected antagonists such as in the shot planned to show the shadow getting up and representative of the antagonist. Sam has also studied drama and does a lot of acting and therefore will be able to understand what body positions he needs. As well as this using infected antagonists such as zombies was one of Sam's ideas therefore he will be able to portray the zombie to the audience in the way that he had imagined it (preffered reading).
Josh McKnight: I will also stand in and play the role of the antagonist whenever required e.g. when Sam is filming, however I will leave the main roles to Sam and Michelle this year as they have more acting experience from studying performing arts. I will also be the driver in the shots when we require a car such as the car making a quick escape as I am the only member with a car available to us. Also when Sam is filming I will take on the role of the director and operate the camera to ensure we can still get the shots we desire to portray our preffered reading to the audience hoping that they make a similar interpretation.
Planning For Magazine
Choice of Magazine, Construction and Layout Analysis
Film Title
Originally we were to name our film ‘Nemesis’ however it clashed with our films slogan of “A necessity becomes a nemesis”. As the title and slogan clashed we researched several water viruses and found ‘Sparganosis’. Sparganosis is an infection which is spread by the contamination of water therefore we believed it would be appropriate for the name of our film. As well as being linked to the main theme of our film it is also a unique title of which is not associated with any other films such as Nemesis with Star Trek: Nemesis.
We finished the product by adding a Parental Advisory logo to show who our target audience are of over 16s because of the gore that may be within our film.
After creating a rough sketch by hand, we then drafted a simple poster on a word document of how we plan to layout our poster. We did this so that we could be more prepared for when we go onto Photoshop to produce our actual film poster. When using word to do our draft, we decided that we would use a black background as it helps to create a dark mood and atmosphere, we also decided that we would use white font, as it stands out a lot, and also to show the contrast between black and white, and the good and bad in the movie.
Michelles' HouseAnother location that we plan to use is Michelle's house, we have chosen to use her house as it will allow us to do a variety of shots that are essential for our trailer. For example, we plan to use a long shot to show our character making a glass of water through a kitchen window. We also plan to film at Michelle's house, as it will show a natural environment and the mise-en-scene helping to create a realistic setting.
Josh's HouseWe also plan to use my house for some of our filming, as the mise-en-scene such as a family living room will also help to create a natural environment. As well as this, we are planning to show our news report through a TV and then film this using an over the shoulder shot as if somebody is watching it, my television has the correct leads that are going to be required therefore we will use it as the location for the selected shot.
Props, Costumes and Actors
For the majority of our filming we will not need any specific props or costumes. The only costumes at the moment that we feel are going to be necessary is making sure that the news reporters are wearing smart clothes such as suits, dresses and blazers. This will help to add to the mise-en-scene, so that the audience will be able to understand that there is important news being shown. The costumes for this scene will be easy to provide.
When we film the news reporters we need to make sure that Chloe will be available at the same time as us. All three of us in the group need to be there, Sam will be playing a news reporter and then either myself or Michelle will be filming and the other directing. When we film this part we will need to make sure that the green screen is available and that nobody else will be in the room. Other props that will be needed for some of the scenes, are things such as an empty water bottle. Since we pitched the idea of having two news readers we changed our minds as we believed that by getting one news reporter it looks as though the television channel has rushed to get someone in quickly to announce the news of the pandemic, this therefore creates a higher sense of panic for those watching and helps to set the atmosphere of which we were hoping to achieve.
For the rest of the trailer however we will require common every day clothes as then it will create a sense of realism amongst the audience of which we were hoping to achieve as the pandemic has swept the world and therefore will affect the entire population who would be expected to dress 'casually'.
Other clothes which we require are baggy, loose/cut clothing for the shadow which rises in the film to show that they have been through a transformation and do not follow therefore do not fit the stereotypical norm of fitted clothing; by doing this it allows us to make a clear distinction that the shadow is an antagonist as they are not dressed as the protagonist is shown in previous shots with fitted clothing.
Also as we film we will add several other pieces of mise en scene such as pillows, food, a laptop and other household materials in the shots showing Michelle in both mine and her house, this again helps to add a sense of realism to the film as these are typical things which are found in the every day home again making the trailer and shot more believable.
For the trailer the main acting roles have been allocated to me, Sam and Michelle. By doing the majority of acting ourselves we reduce the risk that people will be unavailable when we have to film or re-film any unsuccessful and extra shots. As well as this, by using ourselves as the actors we will be able to portray the characters and messages within the trailer in the way which we imagine them.
Michelle Roberts: Michelle will play the part of the final girl in the film, of which we are going to try to make apparent to the audience by including her in the majority shots of the trailer. Michelle was selected to play this part in the trailer as she has studied drama for a number of years and therefore will be able to follow any acting directions given and will know about body positioning for when she is being filmed. Michelle also had previous experience of playing the final girl in our production last year which we felt went extremely well, therefore we will use her again hoping for a smiliar outcome this year.
Sam Sadler: Sam will stand in and play one of the infected antagonists such as in the shot planned to show the shadow getting up and representative of the antagonist. Sam has also studied drama and does a lot of acting and therefore will be able to understand what body positions he needs. As well as this using infected antagonists such as zombies was one of Sam's ideas therefore he will be able to portray the zombie to the audience in the way that he had imagined it (preffered reading).
Josh McKnight: I will also stand in and play the role of the antagonist whenever required e.g. when Sam is filming, however I will leave the main roles to Sam and Michelle this year as they have more acting experience from studying performing arts. I will also be the driver in the shots when we require a car such as the car making a quick escape as I am the only member with a car available to us. Also when Sam is filming I will take on the role of the director and operate the camera to ensure we can still get the shots we desire to portray our preffered reading to the audience hoping that they make a similar interpretation.
Planning For Magazine
Choice of Magazine, Construction and Layout Analysis
Film Title
Originally we were to name our film ‘Nemesis’ however it clashed with our films slogan of “A necessity becomes a nemesis”. As the title and slogan clashed we researched several water viruses and found ‘Sparganosis’. Sparganosis is an infection which is spread by the contamination of water therefore we believed it would be appropriate for the name of our film. As well as being linked to the main theme of our film it is also a unique title of which is not associated with any other films such as Nemesis with Star Trek: Nemesis.
For our magazine we have chosen to follow the layout the same kind of layout of an 'Empire' magazine cover featuring the film 'The Dark Knight' of which we have previously looked at in our research. This magazine portrays many essential things that are on the majority of magazine covers such as; a masthead, cover lines, a central image, price, barcode, and a skyline. These are all important things that we plan to use within our own magazine cover.
For our own magazine cover we have decided that we want to create our own original magazine title, one of the reasons that we have decided this is because we felt that when doing our research, there weren't many magazine covers that featured any horror films that follow the 'apocalypse' sub-genre. After doing a lot of research and coming up with a variety of ideas, the title that we together decided on was 'EMINENT'. We felt that this would be a good catchy title and would be able to attract an audience.
We feel that this would be a good magazine layout to follow as the central image is very eye catching and also exemplifies an important character in the film that is being advertised. In addition to this we also think that the colour schemes and fonts have been kept very neat and tidy and that they all match each other to make the magazine cover seem very professional. Also, the big bold title being in red also gives us the idea to use the colour red for our fonts in the magazine as it portrays blood and gory images. As we are going to choose the colour red to use in our cover we will also make sure that it is used for our poster so that we are showing continuity through our media products.
Initial Sketch:
We feel that this would be a good magazine layout to follow as the central image is very eye catching and also exemplifies an important character in the film that is being advertised. In addition to this we also think that the colour schemes and fonts have been kept very neat and tidy and that they all match each other to make the magazine cover seem very professional. Also, the big bold title being in red also gives us the idea to use the colour red for our fonts in the magazine as it portrays blood and gory images. As we are going to choose the colour red to use in our cover we will also make sure that it is used for our poster so that we are showing continuity through our media products.
Initial Sketch:
The image to the left is our original draft that we have created, this is how we plan for our magazine to look. This is only a very rough idea of what we have originally decided, however there are many more important things that need to be included in our next sketch to give us a better idea of what our magazine is going to look like. For example, we must decide what fonts and colours we are going to use on the cover. As well as this, we must also compare this to other magazines that we looked at in our research to make sure that nothing is missing and that we have all the essential things that a magazine should had. After looking back at our first sketch, we have already noticed that we missed off some important things such as issue date and also a price, of which from our research we have noticed that prices are usually shown in pounds and also dollars.
After creating a rough draft by hand, we then decided to do a rough draft on a word document so that we can get a realistic look at how the magazine layout will look and approximately what sizes we would like the title, tag lines, cover lines and slogans.
After creating this we then looked on DaFont to get an idea of what kind of fonts we would like to use for the different writing on the magazine cover. When we designed the magazine on a word document, we made sure that we left an appropriate amount of space in the middle so that the central image would stand out enough.
Another decided that we need to make when it comes to making the actual magazine cover is the price that we would want it to be and where we want the price tag to be.
After creating this we then looked on DaFont to get an idea of what kind of fonts we would like to use for the different writing on the magazine cover. When we designed the magazine on a word document, we made sure that we left an appropriate amount of space in the middle so that the central image would stand out enough.
Another decided that we need to make when it comes to making the actual magazine cover is the price that we would want it to be and where we want the price tag to be.
Creation of the Magazine
Firstly, we bought a stock image from photoshop which was to be the background of our magazine. We decided on this image as it looks very dark and deserted which runs parallel with the Apocalyptic Theme of our film.
We then added a rain effect to the image to emphasise that our film is about a water virus. We also added an orange smoke effect to the image to create a look of destruction.
Next, we created the Masthead for our magazine. We came up with 'Eminent' as this we felt we needed a name that meant the best to represent that it is the best magazine around. We used the Iron Maiden font from Dafont for the title.
We then created a skyline for the magazine and the website for the magazine. The skyline is a quote from the film. We felt this would be an effective skyline because it is a bold statement to make people want to buy the magazine to find out what this pandemic is.
The next thing we inserted was a 'Dead End' sign. This connotes the nature of our film which is that life is coming to an end because of the water virus
We then inserted our central image. We bought this stock image from photoshop because it looked effective of somebody who has contracted 'Sparganosis'
Next, we created the barcode, website for the film and Coverlines for the magazine. We placed the coverlines in the left side third because this is the part that readers look at first.
We added anchorage text to go with the central image. These are again quotes from our film, which is effective because we are able to promote our film. We also inserted a quote which states it is the most awaited film of the year which will encourage people to watch it.
We then inserted the title of the film on the magazine cover. We made sure that this was the biggest piece of font to let everyone know what the title of the film is. We also added a Puff which is the 'Zombie Month June 2011' because it is advertising an offer from the magazine.
We finished the product by adding a Parental Advisory logo to show who our target audience are of over 16s because of the gore that may be within our film.
Planning For Poster
Choice of Poster, Construction and Layout Analysis
Choice of Poster, Construction and Layout Analysis
The film poster shown for the film Paranormal Activity 2 is an example of how we aim to set out our film poster to support our teaser trailer for 'Sparganosis'. We have selected this poster as a starting point as we feel that it is very simple and straight to to the point. As well as this, we feel that the black background helps to create a dark mood which helps portray the genre of the film, in addition to this the simple and plain poster allows the audience to concentrate fully on the central image. Furthermore, having reviews from magazines and newspapers on the poster also has a good affect on the audience as they are more likely to persuade the audience to go and watch the film, leading the film to be more successful.
Initial Sketch:
The image to the left is our original draft of how we plan our poster to look like. On the original draft we have annotated where we would like to put the most important things on the poster, such as the film title, the central image and reviews. On our poster we have decided that we would like like to include a tagline somewhere and also the age certificate of the film. After looking back at our first draft we have also decided that other things that we would like to include on our movie poster may be a website and also the name of directors and actors. One of the important things that we have left to decide is the size and what type font we are going to use for the writing. We have decided that for the majority of the fonts, we are going to use an online website called Dafont that provides a variety of fonts.
After creating a rough sketch by hand, we then drafted a simple poster on a word document of how we plan to layout our poster. We did this so that we could be more prepared for when we go onto Photoshop to produce our actual film poster. When using word to do our draft, we decided that we would use a black background as it helps to create a dark mood and atmosphere, we also decided that we would use white font, as it stands out a lot, and also to show the contrast between black and white, and the good and bad in the movie.
Creation of the Poster
This shows the process of which we went through to create the Sparganosis poster; we included several print screens to provide evidence for what we did whilst creating the image. We decided to use the image of a shadow rising as it is in our trailer and therefore people will be able to identify the shot with our film. As well as this we are using similar images throughout our work which links the pieces of work together.
The next stage of our poster editing i
nvolved putting lines above and below the central image; we did this to ensure that the focus is on the main image of the shadow. As well as this it also separates the page allowing us to use the excessive space for reviews and production companies etc. We also added our title of ‘Sparganosis’ which is again in the same font as the magazine and trailer; it is essential to maintain the font as people will recognise the film through the titles, if the fonts were to change however people may not recognise it is the same film which could be costly as it may result in less people going to see the film.
This next image shows the poster with the titles; originally the quotes were als
o in the impact font of which was used for Sparganosis, we decided to change this however as we believed that it was not clear what the film title was. We also promoted our own magazine by using a quote from Eminent, this again makes the magazine appear to be one of the best as it has given a similar review to the well respected IMDB site. We also had to change the colours of the sources reviewing our magazine as they were not the same at this point, to conquer this problem we copied the same word and re-wrote it, therefore leaving us with the same colour.The colour of the sources also represents water of which is the main theme throughout our film. We also organised the comments and sources so they look disorientated, this then foreshadows that’s events to come in the film are going to be fairly disturbed and unnatural i.e. those who have been affected by the water virus.
At this point we decided to experim
ent using our films main slogan of a necessity becomes a nemesis; we altered the position of the slogan various times as shown on the print screen, the position shown on the image however is not the final position of which we pursued. Also on the print screen I have shown the layout properties being changed; this is so that it was easier to edit as it was confusing which layer was which when they were previously named layer 1 etc.
This is the one of the completed posters which we did not use, we were undecid
ed on whether to have an exact date, coming soon or to leave it blank hence why we created an alternative. However after looking at other posters, such as Paranormal Activity we decided to leave it blank as Paranormal Activity was still a successful film despite not promoting the release date for the film; by leaving the date off it also prevents the poster from becoming too ‘crammed’ with information.
This is our final chosen poster. On the final poster we have displayed the 15 certificate for the recommended age group for our film making the audience aware of the content to expect to see e.g. containing moderate violence. As well as this we have also included our production and distribution company IFC Films as well as awards of which the film has received from Festival De Cannes.
The next stage of our poster editing i
nvolved putting lines above and below the central image; we did this to ensure that the focus is on the main image of the shadow. As well as this it also separates the page allowing us to use the excessive space for reviews and production companies etc. We also added our title of ‘Sparganosis’ which is again in the same font as the magazine and trailer; it is essential to maintain the font as people will recognise the film through the titles, if the fonts were to change however people may not recognise it is the same film which could be costly as it may result in less people going to see the film. This next image shows the poster with the titles; originally the quotes were als
o in the impact font of which was used for Sparganosis, we decided to change this however as we believed that it was not clear what the film title was. We also promoted our own magazine by using a quote from Eminent, this again makes the magazine appear to be one of the best as it has given a similar review to the well respected IMDB site. We also had to change the colours of the sources reviewing our magazine as they were not the same at this point, to conquer this problem we copied the same word and re-wrote it, therefore leaving us with the same colour.The colour of the sources also represents water of which is the main theme throughout our film. We also organised the comments and sources so they look disorientated, this then foreshadows that’s events to come in the film are going to be fairly disturbed and unnatural i.e. those who have been affected by the water virus. At this point we decided to experim
ent using our films main slogan of a necessity becomes a nemesis; we altered the position of the slogan various times as shown on the print screen, the position shown on the image however is not the final position of which we pursued. Also on the print screen I have shown the layout properties being changed; this is so that it was easier to edit as it was confusing which layer was which when they were previously named layer 1 etc. This is the one of the completed posters which we did not use, we were undecid
ed on whether to have an exact date, coming soon or to leave it blank hence why we created an alternative. However after looking at other posters, such as Paranormal Activity we decided to leave it blank as Paranormal Activity was still a successful film despite not promoting the release date for the film; by leaving the date off it also prevents the poster from becoming too ‘crammed’ with information. This is our final chosen poster. On the final poster we have displayed the 15 certificate for the recommended age group for our film making the audience aware of the content to expect to see e.g. containing moderate violence. As well as this we have also included our production and distribution company IFC Films as well as awards of which the film has received from Festival De Cannes. 
