Prop/Set Design

     The set design is not too challenging for the film introduction as we are basing it around the Everglades ecosystem. We are taking advantage of our surroundings which saves a lot of time and money. Only minor set design will occur as we will make demonic or cult like structures or items to hang from the trees to add to the ambience of the movie. This will add to the scenery and the horror elements of the film.

    The prop design will be very basic. The teenagers who will be exploring will have backpacks will flashlights and equipment used for exploration. The cult members will possibly have weapons to show how they are dangerous and pose a threat to our protagonist. They will all be wearing long dark robes and their face will not be visible.

Casting Options

    For our film opening we realized we are going to need more than there four of us to be actors. This was a challenge as it was hard to find people willing to take time out of there day to help others and get nothing in return. I decided to outsource and contact my friends to see who would be willing to take time out of their day and come help. I utilized social media platforms such as instagram and snapchat to find people willing to participate.

Text Conversation with a friend of mine on Snapchat

    After they agreed I broke down to them the plot of the film and what they will be doing during the film. They all agreed and very excited to participate in such an event. I cannot wait to see how Wednesday goes and I will keep you guys updated.

Shooting Schedule

     After we decided on a plot for the film opening we asked, when should we begin production? This was one of the most challenging parts of the pre-production process, as we all have our own personal lives and things we need to attend to. From family events to jobs, each person had responsibilities making it hard to find the perfect date. Finally, we settled for starting production on Wednesday, March 2nd. We plan to scope out our shooting locations later on in the week.

    This is just the first day of shooting the film introduction. We may need to film on other dates if the footage comes out bad or additional footage is needed. We think we will be filming at either Everglades Holiday Park or Weston Regional Park due to their close proximity to the Everglades ecosystem. Further elaboration will be done but the production process will begin for the film on March 2nd.

Outline

     Over the past two weeks our group finally decided on the plot of the film opening. After many possible shooting locations we decided to take advantage of our area and film in the everglades. The film is going to begin with a group of friends going out into the Everglades to explore. The film is going to be shot like a vlog on the iPhone as it follows the characters exploration through the Everglades. The characters are going to all get into a jeep and head over to the Everglades. We ran into a few errors at this point as we didn't know where to take the plot. Should we do character vs nature or character vs character?

AARP image of the everglades habitat

    We decided to have the characters come across a cult in the everglades. This then takes a turn for the worst as the cult decides to sacrifice the group members. The usage of a cult is very interesting as many new movies aren't incorporating cults as its a thing of the past. Cults were more popular in films back in the 80-90's as many people were in them. I can't wait to begin the production process for the film.

Planning

     So where do we start? We all said this as we did not know direction to take the project in. We were unsure whether we should do a supernatural or psychologic horror film, as the genre has so many possibilities we were stuck on where to start. We decided to use our surroundings to our advantage and come up with an idea surrounding the Everglades. We think the Everglades is the perfect setting for our horror film as many dangerous animals live in the Everglades meaning countless things could happen.

    One of our main inspirations for the film comes from the Blair Witch Project. We really enjoyed the raw footage aspect of the film as it made the movie more realistic. We brainstormed plot ideas until we came up with the idea of kids going into the Everglades to explore. We thought how could we make this horror related? We can't really get nature to attack the actors so we thought about the kids stumbling upon a cult and it goes wrong. However, this is simply a rough draft we have not finalized an idea yet.

Technical Elements

    Horror movies utilize a variety of technical elements in order to frighten to the audience. Almost all horror films use jump scares to startle the audience. This method is when a sudden frame of something accompanied with a loud sound pops up on the screen to startle the viewer. This sometimes corny but classic element has been used in almost all movies in the genre. Underexposure its used a lot within the horror genre, which is essentially altering the lighting so its much darker. This allows directors to play with the scene as darkness alone scares many people.

Example of underexposure from Paranormal Activity

    Many horror movies take advantage of mirrors and reflections in production. According to vocalmedia.com, "mirrors tend to be the illustration of wrongness, the duality of reality in this case, bridging the gap between the world of fear and the world of normalcy". Mirrors can be a good transition into a jump scare as well. Subliminal imagery and messages is a big part of the horror genre. Many movies such as The Exorcist used subliminal messaging to scare viewers and add a bit more to the film overall.

Sources:

https://vocal.media/horror/techniques-horror-movies-use-to-scare-you

https://www.grunge.com/86520/bizarre-subliminal-messages-hidden-movies/

Horror Plot Aspects/Technology

     Horror movies tend to follow the same plot structure and premise. Most horror films are either character vs character or character vs supernatural. Most horror movies follow the premise where the character(s) fight against a monster or villain. This caused stereotypes to form that horror movies have lackluster plots. Some horror movies such as Get Out (2017) and The Shining (1980) stood out due to their innovative plot lines. These films broke boundaries due to the intricate plot lines and subliminal messages within them, differentiating them from the other films in their genre. 

 Scene from The Shining (1980)

    Technology is a vital part of making a successful horror film. Many horror films are based around fiction characters and elements, meaning CGI and technology helps drastically. For instance the film IT (2017) relied heavily on technology to progress the story and incorporate Pennywise and the balloons into the film. Technology allows these ideas to become reality on the big screen.

Genre/Character Research

    For my portfolio project we decided to choose the horror genre. Horror is defined as, "painful or intense fear, dread or dismay". Horror movies inflict such feelings upon the audience by utilizing a variety of technical elements and techniques. Most horror movies have an unsettling plot or premise in which they follow in hopes of frightening the viewer. Some movies such as Cannibal Holocaust (1980) or Antichrist (2009) broke boundaries due to the controversial topics and gruesome imagery displayed. These movies were banned in many countries, but played an influential role in paving a way for the horror genre.

Scene from Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

    So what elements allow a movie to be considered horror? Horror movies, rely heavily on lighting, music, and prop/set design in order to create the ambience of the film. By using darker lighting it restricts the audience from seeing what is to come, essentially making the film scarier. Music can be used to create anticipation and suspense as the antagonist is about to attack a victim. Prop and set design is essential for creating films based on unrealistic places or things, such as monsters. 

   

Alien from Alien (1970)

    Characters  horror films tend to be younger adults aged 15-25. They tend to make unwise decisions in order to advance the plot. For example, the character approaches the dark silhouette outside their window. These unwise choices allow directors to progress the plot along and introduce the antagonist. Many horror movies have teenagers as the characters as the target audience is young adults. This allows the audience to relate more to the characters and the way they act as they are around the same age. Many stereotypes have formed due to the way horror movies portray their main characters as dumb and unware of their surroundings.

References:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horror

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horror_fiction

https://screenrant.com/most-common-horror-movie-stereotype-characters/

Introduction to Portfolio Project

    As we wrap up the music marketing project, I have begun researching the horror genre again, and watching films to look for inspiration. Horror has always been one of my favorite genres, so I would like to incorporate horror elements into my film intro. I feel confident for this project as I learned a lot during the music marketing project, and cannot wait to demonstrate them within my portfolio project. I have an idea where two kids go to explore an abandoned house and it goes wrong. I want to film the project on a camcorder and have the project be like the Blair Witch Project with raw footage. I enjoy films with raw footage more as it seems more realistic, as there is no crazy edits. However, this is merely just an idea and needs to be elaborated on. These are movies I'm looking to for inspiration:

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Psycho (1960)

Music Marketing Reflection

     Over the month period we worked on the music marketing project, a lot of work and preparation went into creating our artist. We were first a little unsure when we received the soul genre, as none of us were really familiar with the genre and artists within it. Also, none of my group members really knew each other making the process of brainstorming a little harder as we did not know what our group members were willing to do. After hours of research on the soul genre, we finally gained a better understanding of the target audience and influential artists within the genre. This allowed us to create the basis for our artist LIVN.

Shot from the "Long Gone" music video

    We wanted to make our artist a young adult as most listeners of this genre are young adults. This allows the artist to relate to his fans more as he is more relatable to them. We created the general aesthetic of the artist and wanted to make him stand out in his genre. We thought by creating a shocking music video it would leave people remembering LIVN's name. This lead to us coming up with the idea of the music video.

    Production was very easy as we created a storyboard prior to filming the video. This gave us a general premise to follow. We filmed at three different locations allowing our story to build up until the final shocking scene. We made sure the locations fit the idea and overall vibe of the song as we wanted to encapsulate the soul genre. Filming in the woods at a local park for the final scene added to the creepy ambience we were trying to convey.

Wood area from the "Long Gone" music video

    

    Overall, this project taught me a lot and prepared for what is to come in the Cambridge portfolio project. I learned how dividing the tasks and planning is crucial for making a film. Planing out what the actors will wear and the filming locations is dire in filming a successful video. Storyboarding is going to be very helpful when doing my portfolio project as it essentially provides a guide of what to film, giving you a sense of direction for the project.