2. Research SF 2017

STAGE 2
RESEARCH +
EXPERIMENTS
Georgia Brown

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BN9HLJG
I asked this question first because I feel as
though it is vital to understanding what my
target audience are looking for as my target
is 16-25 and the people who answered this
were all under the age of 21. However this
may be biased as it was mostly answered
by the people in my class and the class
next door meaning that everyone was
between the ages of 16 – 19 and therefore
it doesn’t fully represent my target
audience completely.
This question was asked because different
genders often like different genres, and I
thought that it was necessary for my to
understand how many people that answered
were male or female. However over half of
those who did my survey were male therefore
meaning that it doesn’t fully represent that
gender. On the other hand it it was nearly half
and therefore the female gender was quite
widely represented because over 40% were
female.

I thought that this side this question
was quiet important to understand
the views of my target audience.
However I was quite surprised to
find out that 4 people used DVD’s
as their platform for watching
TV/Film as I thought that people
only watched filmed online or on the
TV. However the majority of people
used a streaming site such as
Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sky.
Next was YouTube which is also an
online service.
Other
Platforms
Specified
Number
YouTube 3
DVD 4
Illegally 1
TV 1
Cinema 1
Other
Genres
Specified
Number
Sci-Fi 2
Action 2
Thriller 2
Other 4
This questioned seemed very
relevant to me because it was directly
linked to the audience of my
horror/thriller film and whether or not
they would enjoy my film. The results
showed that 4 people enjoy
horror/thrillers which is less than
17%, however I am aware that
people can like more than one genre
or could like one best yet still enjoy
many others too and therefore my
research on this questionnaire is not
definitive.

This question was designed to help me focus my film more toward
the audience’s favourite part of a horror film. The answers show me
that most people think that the music and sound are the most
interesting and most crucial part in making it a good film. This
shows me that I need to make sure that my music is good so that I
can build suspense and tension. This will be something that I need
to focus on when I edit however that I should definitely research
before hand so that I do not run out of time. This also shows me
that the storyline is the next most important feature in my
horror/thriller which is good as I feel as though my storyline and
theme are strong and, as I will discuss later, so do the people who
answered my questionnaire.
Here I asked the question about how many hours people spent
a week watching film/tv, this gives me an indication of how
likely people are to watch my film and how interested they
would be in watching a short film anyway. Even though the
majority of people only send between 0-7 hours a week
watching films/tv that is fine as my film will only b 1 minute and
therefore would be easy to fit in even if they only usually watch
30 minutes worth of media. This is therefore positive as are
the rest of the results as no-one put none and everyone else
who answered put between 8-29+ and therefore they would be
more inclined to watch film as they already spend a lot of
hours watching them.

Here are the views of people who read the synopsis of my short film, ‘6:00
O’Clock’. All but one or two are extremely positive, with people saying that they
love it and that its suspenseful and that they want to know more which is exactly
the kind of response that I want. People additionally picked up on the fact that
the dark side is vastly contrasted with the nice, normal family meal that they
have each night which is the underlying theme of my film and therefore it is
positive that people are understanding the story without even having to see it on
film. A lot of people said that the storyline was brilliant which works great with
the fact that many of my target audience said that the storyline is the most
important part of a horror after the music and the sound. Despite the mostly
great response some people have said that there needs to be more suspense
which I agree with, however I think that that will be shown in the film and added
in with the music. It is difficult to portray in writing especially when it is just a
synopsis of the film. Altogether I think that even though the majority of the
people who answered didn’t love horror films, that they thought that this was a
good idea and that it should work well for my 60 second film.

Mama (2013)
Mama is a US horror film which made $71,588,220 (USD) overall with a
budget of $15 Million and it is 100 minutes long. It is most liked by females
under the age of 18 however overall, <18 and 45< gave it the same rating
of 6.3. The reviews were widely different, some saying that it is fantastic
and the best in the recent load of horror movies, whilst others were saying
that it was terrible and overwhelmingly rubbish. Overall it got an average
rating of 64% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Woman in Black (2012)
The Woman in Black is a UK fantasy/thriller which got $128.5 Million at
the box office with a budget of $15 Million and it is 95 minutes long. The
main audience for this film were women aged 40-54 and were from
Wales and the next favorite demographic was 25-39 year olds from the
North East. This shows that this film was much more appreciated by
people who were slightly older and this may be because the film had a

Final Destination 2 (2003)
Final destination is a US Psychological Horror film which made $90.42 Million
USD at the box office with a budget of $25Million, the film is 90 minutes long.
The demographic who liked it the most were females under the age of 18 who
gave it a rating of 6.9. This may be because the two main leads were young,
females and it was therefore relatable however the ratings were pretty similar
thought the demographics from 6.2-6.4 and it therefore received average
reviews with some who loved it an some who hated it.
A Cure for Wellness (2016)
A Cure for Wellness is a US thriller which made only $26 Million at the box
office despite spending $40 Million for it’s budget., the film is 146 minutes long.
This means that it was considered a box-office-bomb because it performed
poorly in the cinemas despite being a film that many enjoyed. The
demographic for this film is mainly young females which is similar to the
demographic for my film. They gave it a rating of 7.2 which is significantly
higher than the other age ranges especially 45+ which gave only 6.2 out of 10.

My primary research was answered by 60% male and 40% female and this therefore shows that my results
would be slightly bias as it isn’t a fair survey. Additionally 85% of the people who answered my questions
were ages 18 or under. This means that it is quiet bias as it wont show me the whole pictures of what my
target market thinks. However it was only answered by 26 people and therefore it wont give me the whole
picture of what the different demographics like and dislike. On the other hand it did show me that people find
the sound and music the most important aspect of a horror film and therefor I know what to focus on when I
edit. It additionally showed me that my film idea is viable and that it should work as long as I get enough
suspense in there. It also showed me that it should appeal to a range of people which is the target. My
secondary research helped me to come to the conclusion that young females are more likely to go to see a
horror film as they gave a higher rating than any other group for all of the four random horror films that I chose
to research. My target audience for my short film ‘6 O’Clock’ are 16-24 year olds as our tutor set this for us.
My film would appeal to this target as the main character is of that age group at 18 and it therefore seems
relatable. Additionally as they are relatively young they would be able to related to the setting of a family
having an evening meal together every night, as that is common for the majority of young people. As they are
16-24 they are most likely in some form of further education or have recently finished it and so they could
relate to the practice of coming home at a similar time every night and having dinner. The gender that would
be more inclined to watch my film would be female however it can be aimed towards other genders too, this is
because the protagonist of the film is a young 18 year old girl and people often enjoy films if they can relate to
them however it isn’t anti-gender and therefore it should be enjoyed by all genders. Additionally it will be
aimed mainly at people of a middle class social status or grade B because that is the status of the subject of
my film. This is because the stereotypical middle class family have meals together every night and their lives
seem perfect and therefore at first it seems relatable. However it is not exclusive to them as it could appeal to
the other sections of society too and therefore it doesn’t specifically exclude any social status. My audience
should hold the general values that murder is wrong, especially of a family member who you are supposed to
love. They should therefore find the man in my film scary and evil and so feel for he main girl. They would
also have a family oriented life or be able to relate to that feeling and then therefore find the film shocking
when they see the ending and see how the father betrays and kills his family. The psychographic for my
target audience would come under the groups of either emulator/Wanna be because this kind of person may
be likely to go to see this film as it is a horror and they therefore may want to impress others or socially
conscious type B as they have given up on society and this film shows that humanity has a problem if fathers
are willing to kill their children and wives.

• Universal: A U film is suitable for all ages over 4 years old. It should contain
only very mild sexual behavior such as kissing and nothing more. It can only
have very infrequent use of very mild language and it should offer a
reassuring counter balance to any threat or horror that is mentioned. There
should only be innocuous references to drugs and it should then carry an
anti drug message along with it. There may be nudity but as long as there is
no sexual context.
• Parental Guidance: A PG film should not be shown to children under the
age of eight and not without their parents guidance and consent although
you can never know what may upset each specific child. If drugs are
referred to it should have an anti-drug message along with it and it should be
brie. Sexual activity should be mild and infrequent and there should be a
reassuring counter balance to any horror or threat however mild violence
may be allowed. There may also be nudity as long as it has no sexual
context. There must be no imitable dangerous behavior that is presented as
safe or fun.
• 12A/12: Suitable for children of 12 years and over, or under 12 with an
accompanying adult. Misuse of drugs must be infrequent and must not be
glamorous or give instruction. There may be moderate sexual references
permitted and there may be moderate violence but it should not focus on
detail and there should be no emphasis on blood. Sexual activity may be
discreetly portrayed but without frequent crude references and there may be
nudity however if it is in a sexual context then it should be discreet.

• 15: No-one under 15 should see this film, sexual activity may be portrayed but
usually without much detail and horror and threat may be used as long as it doesn’t
focus on a sadistic or sexual threat. There can be strong violence as long as it
doesn’t dwell on injury however there may be references to sexual violence as long
as the depiction is discreet. Nudity is fine in all context whether it is educational or
sexual. There may be strong language as long as it is justified yet there may not be
any imitable behaviour which is dwelled on for example hanging and or suicide.
Drug taking my also be shown as long as it does not give instruction however the
use of highly dangerous drugs such as solvents must not be shown.
• 18: Anyone of the age of 18 or over can watch this film as adults should be
free to choose their own entertainment and therefore anything can be shown.
Exceptions are mainly if there is a breach in law, or if there has been content
of a sadistic manner for example trying to make sexual abuse appealing or
positive. Any other film that focuses on sexual activity with no other context
may be rated an R18 and therefore not shown at normal cinemas.
My Film’s Rating: My film will most likely be in the ‘15’ category as it contains some gory images of
someone who is dead with lots of blood. Even though I will not show anyone actually inflicting pain upon
someone else it will infer that it has happened and the camera will slightly dwell on the fact that the person
has been brutally murdered and injured. Therefore it wouldn’t be suitable for a 12 as there should not be a
focus on any blood and in my film there will be a large amount of it in the bath and on the knife. The main
character will also be slightly sadistic because he obviously enjoys killing as he didn’t do it for self defense. It
is therefore not acceptable for 12A/12 rating because he will ‘infer’ that he will kill again and therefore it
should be rated a 15.

Before I Fall
 Colour grading is the process of altering or enhancing the
colour of a motion picture or video digitally.
 It encompasses both colour correction and effects.
 In this film there is a strong blue/grey colour for the majority
of the film, this may be because blue often signifies
something bad or cold and possibly negative.
 This subconsciously effects the audience when they watch it
as they either feel for the character or have more empathy
towards her as they can tell that her is sad or living in a sad
world just from the colour of the screen.
 I also think that this colour grading is more appreciated by
the younger generation, like my target audience, as they live
in a world where they but a colour effect on their photos on
social media, to change the way their lives are perceived. As
this film and my own are both targeted towards that age
group I think that it will be useful in created an emotional
response from the viewers.
 Altogether I have decided that I will defiantly do some colour
grading in my film as it can change the whole emotion of
each scene. In addition I think I will use a similar colour to
represent the sadness of their family and the negative things
that are going to happen.

Blade Runner 2049
 The Blade Runner films are both renowned for their incredible
sound and music.
 In the latest film made in 2017 called, Blade Runner 2049, had
sound editors and composers who managed to make all of the
movie’s music without using any premade songs. They composed
all of the soundtracks and recorded it all themselves. This is unlike
most films where they simply play premade songs.
 As well as creating all of their own music, the music and sound
production team recorded over 2500 different sounds for foley
instead of just using sounds that had already been made.
 I definitely want to use this technique as I don’t want a premade
song playing throughout my film as it will need to specific to the
different scenes. I also want to record my own foley as it will be
more realistic and relatable to the audience instead of hearing an
electrically automated noise.
 I think that this is a big part of my production as when I did my
survey it showed that sound was the most important part of a
horror film, according to my target market.
This link is a short documentary about the production team that
worked on blade runner and they talk about how and why they did
everything the way that they did.
http://mixmag.net/read/new-documentary-gives-in-depth-look-at-the-
sound-design-of-blade-runner-2049-news

Pulp Fiction
 Pulp fiction is an iconic thriller film which is
renowned for its editing and cutting techniques.
 The photos on the right hand side of this page
show a scene where all of these images are
showed relatively quickly after each other. The
way it was edited showed clearly who was doing
what and what happened straight after, for
example, a gun shot went off.
 This made it exciting for the viewer and also kept it
easier to understand.
 There is a lot of scenes that have ‘cut on action’
used when editing which is when an action
happens like a punch, and then you cut straight to
the reaction which could be someone falling down.
 Even though I don’t think I will use ‘cut on action’, I
will definitely use other editing techniques that
were also used in Pulp Fiction for example a jump
cut where you cut to a different time in that scene
to give the effect of different moments in time.

EXPERIMENTS
Camera/Editing/Audio Experiments

 When we began we started off with a shot list of everything that we needed to shoot, this shot list
however, had three shots left empty for us to choose our own. Once we had decided what the film
would be about, and we had written the short script that they needed we went out to film. We took with
us a tripod and a camera and our shot list. We then had to choose which part of the college which
would work best and be the quietest as we needed space to film. We decided on the back left hand
corner of he college and because it was lesson time it was very quiet. We then started filming one shot
at a time however not necessarily in the order that we had written down on our shot list. This was
because the shot list was in the order that it would be edited together and some shots which were apart
on the list, would need to be filmed in the same place and so we decided that it best made sense to film
all the shots that took place in the same location at the same time. When we did each shot I would
count down and say action so that everyone knew when we were rolling. We did around 3 takes of each
shot so that we didn’t need to reshoot later or so that we needed need to miss a shot out when editing
because we had done it wrong. Every time we took a new shot we had to set up the camera and the
tripod in the right position so that if we wanted a long shot we were far enough away. There was a slight
problem because our tripod was slightly tilted and that was throwing off our shot but to counteract this
we just had to lower one of he legs. We also had o film a conversation using the 180 degree rule which
I had never done before however I think that it worked really well. After each shot Sophie and I would
watch it back to make sure that it looked right and that nothing needed changing or adjusting.
Throughout this process we had to do specific shots which in the past we haven’t theoretically done,
however I think that when you watch it back it made it a lot better and I will definitely use this in the
future.
https://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=UDYRyn3d0Cg

 I think that the filming experiment was really good and I definitely learnt a lot from doing it. The 180
degree rule that we used in the experiment worked really well and even though I wont be able to use
it in my next film as there isn’t allowed to be any conversation, I will definitely use it when I do a film
with speaking. However in my experiment I realised when watching it back that Clara in the first MS
shot of her speaking, that she should have been more to the left of the screen however I corrected
that afterwards and in the other shoots they are at their respective sides of the screen. I will however
defiantly use lots of the shots that I learnt doing this experiment and each shot will be specifically
written out on with each type next to it. I think that it helps to give a lot of structure and diversity when
filming as otherwise you end up with lots of shots that are the same size an then it doesn’t show any
talent or differentiation from other armature films. I will also use an exterior long shot for the
beginning of my short film as it gives it context and makes the film more realistic as these kinds of
shots are always used in films and TV shows. Another thing that I took from this process was that I
need to check the equipment thoroughly before I take it out to use it, this is because the angles tripod
slowed down are production and if we hadn’t realised it then we would have ended up with wonky
shots which would have ruined our Sausage Roll Film. Another element that I am keen to use in my
short film that, even though I didn’t use in my experiment, I think will work really well and that is an
Extreme Close UP. I think that it will give more of a dramatic touch and that it will be very good in my
horror/thriller film. Finally another element that I took from this was that I am quiet good with the
camera even though I thought that I wasn't. This was because in the past I have directed and I didn’t
film it specifically myself however in my short film I will definitely be apart of the actual camera filming
as I think that you can see another part of the film if you watch it through the camera. However in this
experiment I didn't have anyone with me at the camera because everyone was acting so I will
definitely get some crew to help me in my 60 second film so that I can concentrate on the filming and
directing part of it so that I dot have to do every little thing to keep it all running.

 The editing process of both my sausage roll film and Shaun of the Dead clip took around 2 hours
each for me to completely put them together and edit and then export them. The Sausage roll film
needed a lot less editing as it contained a considerably lower amount of sound tracks. Firstly I began
by sifting though the takes that I had made to find the best ones. Then to edit the Sausage Roll film I
opened up a new PremierPro document on the Mac and I added in all of the videos which I had
chosen. I then put them all in the order that was on my shot list and I put them the track so that I new
what I was working with and I began to edit each clip individually. I cut each clip so that it only
contained the desired amount of the of content and so that you couldn’t hear me saying “action” or
“cut. I did this for each clip until it was all edited to 53 seconds and I was happy that the videos told a
story. Next I edited the music which did not take very long as it only contained two extra pieces of
music, one was on there 6 times but only in short bursts and it didn’t contain much editing juts clipping
down the length. I then added in a ‘theme’ song at the beginning whilst the exterior shot of the college
was still playing and at the end when they were in the lift. I had to edit this track so that the sound
would fade out as the second shot came on the screen, to do this I had to add a key frame in a the
point when I wanted the music to fade out and then I had add another one at the end of that sound
track so that the music would end up being silent. I did this so that the music didn’t abruptly end as
that isn’t how the sound would be in a real TV show or film Another part of the film that I had to edit
was the original sound that I had recorded on the camera, on certain clips where I wanted the sound
to be louder or quieter I changed it accordingly. The way I did this was by double clicking on the left
hand side of the track so that it would expand, and then I could move the sound bar up and down to a
certain point so that the sound fitted in with the rest of the video. I also had to edit the sound that I
recorded myself onto the Shaun of the dead clip however I discuss that in a lot more detail on the
Audio – Process slide. I additionally edited on a credits slide so that it looked even more realistic as a
short film / clip from a TV show.

 I think that the editing process I go through when I edit videos and sound together is
getting smoother, quicker and better every time I do it. When editing this time I
definitely learnt how to do multiple things, firstly I learnt how to add a title/credits
page for the beginning and end of the film and I will definitely use this element of the
Sausage Roll film when I make my short 60 second movie so that it looks
professional. Now that I have used PremierPro for multiple different short films/ TV
adverts, I know how to use it properly, this means that when I make my 60 second
film I will be able to put the editing techniques that I have learnt in class into action.
Even though I didn’t use it in my Sausage Roll experiment I want to use a J-Cut
when I edit my 60 second film because I think that it will add more suspense as you
wont know who is speaking at first and that will be scary. Something else that I
realised when filming this was that I need to have a larger break between myself
saying ‘action’ and the cast starting to act. This is because when I crop the videos
down, I sometimes need to crop a section of the content that I wanted because it
still has still has an echo of me speaking. If this happens I may not be able to use
the take that I want to and I may have to use one that isn’t as good and it will
therefore mean that my film isn’t as good as it could have been. I could possibly just
crop the video down however it may not make as much sense as the full one would
have. If none of the other takes are useable then it may mean that I have to
reshoot a scene which will put me behind in production and it may not be possible
so I may have to miss a scene out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEUXZ8897Yw
• Firstly we watched the video from Shaun of the Dead and wrote down which sounds we thought would
have been in the clip. Then we went out with a sound recorder and tried to create those noises or find
them actually happening elsewhere. We wanted to record sounds such as footsteps and money rattling
however it proved difficult as there were lots of people moving around and we couldn’t stop them so
recording was quite difficult. Once we had done that we came back to class and opened up a new
document on PremierPro and added in the video. Then I uploaded all of the sound bites from the
recorder onto the Mac and I chose which ones I thought worked best. I then put those onto PremierPro
and added them into where I though they sounded best. This took quiet a long time as they all had to
be strategically placed so that they fitted in with the video itself. I then went onto Google and
downloaded any other bits of foley that I hadn't managed to get myself for example a car alarm and a
police siren. I then added them on to Premier too and once I had all of the sounds in place on each
track, I had to adjust the volume so that it was realistic and so that it wasn’t too loud or too quiet. I also
had to crop each piece of sound because I only wanted the main part and I didn’t want the noise of
someone speaking or saying ‘123’ etc. Once I had done that for each different piece of foley, I added
key frames so that the sounds faded in and out smoothly and so that they weren’t jerky and were more
natural. To do this I had to add multiple key frames in on the sound track that I wanted to change and I
would pull the key frame down where I wanted it to be quiet or and then pull it back up when it needed
to be louder, I did this with the footsteps, the siren and a few other sounds. Once I’d finished I exported
it and put it on YouTube, the link is at the top of the page.

 I feel as though my experiment for sound went really well and that I learnt a lot of new
things. I will definitely use the keyframes technique that I have learnt because really helps
when needing to drown out a sound or reduce the volume of a song temporarily and I wish
that I had known how to do that when I made my Irn-Bru TV advert as that would have made
it a lot smoother. However I now know that it will help me to make the audio for my 60
second film a lot better which is necessary as the people who answered my survey thought
that sound was the most important part of a horror film. Additionally I now know that I need
to record lots of foley as people expect there to be lots of little sounds so that it seems
realistic and well filmed. For this I will need to make a list of any sounds that I could possibly
need so that I have a small directory of my own foley and also so I don’t have to rerecord
them again at a later date and therefore slow my production down. I will also film these at
the shoot location as it is very quiet and there will be no-none there, this will ensure that I
can get the best quality sounds without disruption from the public. I will still download some
sounds however from the internet as there is a huge amount of free downloadable sound
bites which may be better than mine as they will have been made professionally. I will only
do this however for sounds which are unrecordable for myself or that would rely solely on
opportunity. One major thing that I will have to plan for a lot will be the music and tension
building sounds that will play through the last 2/3 of the film. I may possibly need to make
these sounds myself on GarageBand which I am not very good at and therefore I will need
lots of practice and some help so that I can properly utilise the equipment that I have at my
finger tips. This means that I will have to plan well in advance what sounds I need so that
when I edit the audio and visual elements together, I don’t get stuck without music and have
to rush to put any old piece in there. Altogether I think that the audio experiment was very
successful in helping me to understand foley better and to realise how much detail and time
that I will need to put into the sound of my film and not just the visual.

 There are many potential constraints on the production of my short film. Firstly being the time that I
have to film it, we have less than 4 weeks left to finish production, research and editing. This means
that if we don’t finish in the allotted time that we will not be able to finish the rotation. In addition I should
take multiple takes of each scene when I film so that I don’t have to do a reshoot if the takes aren’t
right, this is because I don’t have enough time and it would slow my production. Personnel may also be
an issue in the production of my 60 second film because I will need 3 cast members and another crew
member and if I don’t get them then I may not be able to film and therefore I wont finish in tie. If I cant
find enough cast members then I may have to change the storyline which would mess with the research
and planning that I have already done. Therefore I should pan ahead and secure cast members as
soon as possible so that I wont have issues further down the line. Cost may also create constrains on
my production as I will need to buy materials and props, however I wont have a budget so I will have to
pay for it all out of my own pocket. This means that I won’t be able to buy really extravagant things and
that I will have to budget for what items I actually need and not buy things which aren’t necessary.
There may also be technical constraints on my filming process as I only have the equipment that the
college has to offer and so I wont be able to use really extravagant equipment. However that should be
fine as I only need to use basic camera movements and therefore I will only need a camera, tripod and
possibly a dolly. Another constraint could be the location, I will have to choose a location that isn’t too
far for the cast and crew to get to, that fits in with my storyline and that I am able to use and change
around to my own preference. I will also have to make sure that it is free and that it isn’t too loud so that
it wont disrupt or slow down the production. It was halt production completely if there is no location
access at all and therefore I will need to plan ahead to make sure that I have secured it and that it will
be free for me to use. Finally I need to make sure that I have finished all of my research and planning
so that my production is smooth and so that I don’t run into any problems. If I don’t organise each part
of my production completely it may slow it down or halt it because I may not have all of the resources
that I need or I may not know what I need because I wouldn’t have done the research properly and
therefore it would heavily constrain my production.

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