During the filming process, our original costume plan was altered due to issues with filming and availability.
Originally we had planned to include a dark suit for the antagonist of red and black to connote both danger and the spilling of blood but due to filming difficulties we chose to opt for a white and black outfit with red elements. This worked better for us due to it's visibility, enabling the clown to be seen more easily in the dark due to the lack of lighting available on location.
We also planned to spray the clown's hair green but due to the dark lighting of our location and the use of black and white CCTV filter in the tunnel, the colouring would have been barely visible and so therefore we chose not to include this colouring.
The original face paint chosen was also altered for filming purposes, blood was added dripping from the eyes and the black around them was made larger, drawing attention towards the darkness and the unnatural features of the clowns face as to make it appear more sinister.
Also, we originally intended to use red contact lenses to convey supernatural inhuman elements but found again, like the hair colouring, it would have very little impact on overall shots. We also made this decision as the large quantity of red already intended in each of our shots would have caused the majority of the mise en scene to suggest bloodshed, which isn't used within this particular scene. The contrast of the pale blue eyes against the dark black and red features of the face paint also created a more startling affect, as they seem far more prominent and chilling as they stare into the camera in close up shots.
On location, we discovered that there were problems with some of the original decided features of our scene:
When filming our test shots, it became apparent that the path we had originally chosen for the victim to follow around the Royal Naval College into the foot-tunnel would cause difficulties. We had to block out a separate route through the grounds ensuring that no restaurants, passing visitors, sign posts for the gift shop or shots in which the glass casing of the Cutty Sark were visible. This proved difficult due to the lack of lighting upon the foot-paths in the area and the obvious commercialisation of the location.
On our original storyboard, no filming was included from the individual view of the victim as we decided to film the majority in CCTV format due to no intended empathy being felt towards the victim as an emotional bond between them and the audience as their character is insignificant as part of the plot.
The skyline shots we are using within our scene originally were not planned and were added as a decision during filming. We had planned to include establishing shots to determine the importance of our location as an anonymous city (London) but originally of the college and Cutty Sark itself but on location, we found the brighter and more definitive example of London as a location would have been better represented using the skyline shot of the City buildings across the Thames as a universal symbol.
Our first plan depicted the entirity of the scene filmed in the tunnel to be produced in black and white as CCTV footage but due to the supernaturality of our plot and our intention to emphasise this, we can now chosen to switch between colour during these shots to distort the image.
To begin progress within deciding on a name for our film, I began with making a list of the main components of our scene, a technique that would allow names to be thought up due to what is included within our piece. However, it is difficult to decide upon a definitive name due to certain features of our opening (such as location) due to the following plot not to have been decided in depth. For example, as we are only producing the opening scene in which a murder takes part in a tunnel we could in theory title it around this feature but if the film were to continue and be produced following on from this scene, it is not initially intended for the majority of thesetting to be placed in that tunnel.
Whilst brainstorming choices, I included all possible titles I came up with despite a number of them being useless due to sounding terrible and having other issues so that when shown to the rest of the group presenting the ideas, it can allow us to critique different choices and possibly come up with more ideas related to them.
At the current stage of process, the three most effective choice (in my opinion) would be; 'Grin.', 'Whiteface' and 'Smile, Please.' ashaving as few syllables as possible allows the name to be short and memorable .
Grin refers to the clown's face itself and also towards the lipstick mark they leave upon their victim acting as a calling card.
Whiteface is the name of the type of clown we are using within our scene as the antagonist, a comedy grotesque whiteface. (Allows us to enforce to the audience that the clown itself is the focus, not the victim or location.)
'Smile, please' also refers to the calling card mark left upon the victim's body after the murder has taken place. (Conveys a sinister tone, typically a possible title choice for a comedy film.)
Clothing-wise the killer will wear clothing typical of a clown but with dark colouring. Red and black costumes are our desired choice as we want to easily demonstrate that the clown connotes evil and danger and foreshadows death as soon as it is seen onscreen, creating a sense of fear. It is also important that the costume hides any gender behind the character as we want them to remind anonymous and unrelated to humanity as much as possible, not giving it any human or gender specific qualities to detach it from the victim and the audience.
A pair of large, old, distressed boots would help define the survival of the killer and their ability to still be standing. A pair of red or black boots would be more suitable for this purpose as if using red, a close up shot of the clown's feet could be used to introduce them onscreen for the first time having seen the red balloons and establish a connection between them.
Pairing a creepy clown painted face with a pair of red contact lenses enables us to re-enforce the lack of humanity and innocent within the killer and again, detach them from any possibly empathy or reasoning behind their actions. Also, it suggests the contrast between itself and society's view of what clowns are (humans in comic clothing), establishing that this evil is not related.
This would be useful to use within a flashback scene to connect the victim (if they survive) to before/during and after they experience the attack. (Made using eyelash glue and foundation.)
Burns This would be useful to useif we chose not to follow the route of conventional gory deaths and decide to opt for burning injuries instead. (Made with theatrical wax, paints, optional fake blood.)
Cuts
This would be useful to use if we chose to feature our injuries in a house/school/hospital environment and our character fell through glass or was struck with a object that could shatter. This would also be easiest to duplicate on a large scale to include an entire faceand also to create the illusion of skin sliced by glass such as in Suspiria. (Made using theatrical wax, foundation, fake blood and plastic.)
For my source of inspiration I wanted to look at different types of flashbacks and see how we could use these within our scene to give it a basic storyline. I will be looking at the different types of flashbacks from different types of genre's to make sure I have covered a lot of different techniques that each genre has used to make sure that we can make the most of our film opening.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Genre: Fantasy, Aventure.
In this little snippit from a scene, Harry is having flashbacks from all of the memories he holds dear to him, which Professor Snape is trying to stop him from having to protect him.
Mise En Scene.
When Snape is seen within the first few moments, due to Snape wearing all black he blends into the surroundings, and the lighting around him is very minimal, to emphasise the darkness of his personality on the outside.
Dumbledore is the complete opposite, as he is surrounded by light, showing the goodness and kindheartedness of his character.
Snape looks merely like a silhouette, and blends into his surroundings.
Mise En Scene Continued
Within this scene there is a lot of vertical lines, which suggest strength, which could indicate Voldemort's strength over Harry.
The spacing between Harry and Snape is a social/ public distance, showing the frayed and broken relationship between the two of them. They are never seen directly close to each other, except from when Snake is dragging Harry down the stairs.
Lighting.
The lighting that is shone onto Harry's face is not a pure light, it is a cold blue light which gives a clinical feel to the whole scene, also linked with the bottles of potions in the surrounding areas.
The lighting is artificial due to the fact that there is no natural light, which gives off a warm and comfortable vibe which would completely compromise this scene.
Sound.
Within this scene there is a lot of diegetic sound which is emphasises, such as the bottles clinking, the door creaking open,
There is a non digetic soundtrack overhead, in which is quiet, but is an eerie sound we would usually hear in a tension scene within a horror movie, showing to the audience that something bad is going to happen within the future.
When the flashbacks are playing, the music changes, into a magical tone, which a dominant beat which gets louder, it sounds almost like it is on repeat of a wind up toy-box.
Editing
The flashback editing is incredibly clever within this scene, and i really like it, as there is a sharp distinct sound when the flashbacks start and change to emphasise the fact they are flashbacks.
They are all linked together by cutaways of different memories that Harry has experience, which I really like, because I think it is the most effective way of getting this flashback across.
What i liked.
In this flashback scene I really liked the way in which the camera zooms directly into Harry's face to convey to the audience that this is Harry's mind we are going into, and it is almost like we are the spell travelling towards Harry. I also like the use of quick flashbacks, which then show that if one is shown slower than the rest then it has a large significance within the film.
What could i use in own trailer?
If possible I would like to use the zooming into the face, to emphasise the flashbacks, if it fits in with the scene that we want to create. I also like the use of the slowed down moments within the flashback to emphasise the importance of a fact, a movement, or a piece of dialogue.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Genre: Romance, Comedy.
In this scene Forrest is reminiscing with Jenny about the places that he had visited and how beautiful they all were.
Mise En Scene
The room is filled with soft colours, there is no harsh colours in the room at all making the room seem homely.
The white and cream on the walls connotes to the audience the innocent and venerability of Jenny.
The soft pink bed sheet could show the femininity of Jenny, but due to it being baby pink it could contrast the artifice that pink usually connotes because of the purity of Jenny at this current moment.
Both Forrest and Jenny are wearing the same colour shirt but with different tones, Jenny is wearing a baby blue stripy shirt which is mixed with white which could show her calmness about the situation that he is in, and also with the white it could reinforce her purity which is a contrast to herself earlier in the film. Forrest's shirt is a more masculine blue, which we know does not represent Forrest as such as he has never in the film been completely masculine.
Although we see that Jenny is ill, there is no green present within this scene, which I thought was a bit weird because there would need to be some hint of illness.
The bed that Jenny is laying on also mimics a hospital bed, showing that she is not completely her usual self, and there is something wrong.
The distance between both characters shows a intimate relationship, and that they are both comfortable with each other, and they share a bond of trust and comfort.
In all of the flashbacks, we see that Forrest is in a natural background, and the beauty of nature in it's purest forms, which Jenny is wishing to see, in her bed ridden state.
Both of these images are from the flashbacks that Forrest has when Jenny is asking about how the war was. They are both pieces of beautiful scenery, and show the natural side of the world, linked to Jenny in her natural environment that Forrest thinks is perfect too.
Lighting.
The lighting within this scene is bright and warm when it is on Jenny and Forrest, showing the pureness of their relationship, and that their are no secrets between each other, they love each other for who they are, not for what assets they may have.
Sound
There is next to none non diegetic sound in this scene, to emphasise the simplicity and purity of the relationship between Jenny and Forrest.
Forests dialogue acts a sound bridge to piece together the flashbacks that he is experiencing.
There is very little sound within the clips of Forrest's flashbacks to emphasise the beauty of the surroundings.
Editing
Due to the simplicity of this scene the editing is minimal, even in the flashbacks, as they flow almost like they were supposed to be the next chronological part of the scene.
The transition between the flashbacks are invisible, and smooth, in which people do not notice how smoothly the transition goes through. This is to make sure no attention is drawn to the scene change, but to the characters on the screen and their dialogue.
What I liked
I really like the way in which the editing looks smooth, but within my trailer due to this being a different genre I want to make the contrast between present and a different era look completely rough and not smooth, as they usually are within Horror movies.
What i could use
Although, i think that i could use a smooth transition to create tension and anticipation from the audience, because in Horror movies the transitions are not smooth at all, so if we create one which runs smoothly, and draws no attention to it at all, then the viewing audience are more likely to jump and become scared at points in which are scary. Also I like the idea of a sound-bridge between the shots, which could be introduced by maybe a scream.
