Final 'Visions' Trailer

Post-Production: Editing Day 3

Our last day of editing consisted our group to make any final adjustments or changes needed to help polish our work altogether. Kindly, my teacher had arranged a professional editor to come into our lesson for the afternoon and look over our trailer productions to provide us with critical feedback to help improve certain aspects of our work. We found this help extremely useful as it allowed my group and me to be given fresh, constructive feedback from not only a reliable and professional source however also from someone other than people within our class. 

The editor sat down with our group on a one to one basis and watched over our trailer whilst at the same time making notes on which aspects he enjoyed and which he believed we needed to improve on. He informed us that it was difficult for him to fully grasp the plot of the film therefore in order to adjust this problem, it would be better if we could add titles to help translate our storyline to our audience. After receiving this feedback, my group and I instantly started to plot ideas of what our titles should say and then we began to implement these specific changes to our work. Due to his experience, the editor was able to teach us certain techniques on Final Cut Pro, that we as ammeters did not know, such as how to use transparency and rendering on a specific clip. This overall was an extremely helpful and learning experience for us and we believe that the feedback provided, allowed us to create an effective trailer. 

Post-Production: Editing Day 2

For our second day of editing, my group and I planned to meet at Jeet’s house as she was the only group member with access to the editing software, Final Cut Pro. Our main priority during this day was to take our teacher’s feedback into consideration and make any necessary improvements to our rough cut. We decided that it would be best to focus on lengthening our trailer, therefore we systematically viewed and assessed our filming footage to see which scenes could be effective to incorporate in our work. We started off by playing around and inserting specific clips into our rough cut in order to see if they flow well within the sequence.  

During this time we came across the footage Indiana and I had taken within the graveyard on our third day of filming. As conveyed within our storyboard, we initially intended to incorporate a close-up shot of an old, battered gravestone which reads “In the loving memory of our mother”. However, we came to realise that the footage didn't make sense or flow with the rest of the sequence therefore so we decided to leave it out. 

We then moved on to focus on the sound of our trailer as we currently only had the original sounds from our footage playing in the background. During our research period, we had come to find that sound within a trailer is extremely significant as it helps create suspense or an emotional impact for the viewers. We, therefore, needed to carefully choose which sound effects or soundtracks were most suitable to match what is taking place on screen. My group and I therefore collectively went onto a website called Incompetech as it allowed us to use copyright free sound effects. On the website, we found a number of eerie sound effects which we believed would be extremely effective to build up fear amongst the audience if used within our trailer. Once we picked out a handful of specific sound effects, we experimented with them by placing them within our trailer and had fortunately found the they work well together. 

Post-Production: Editing Day 1

                                                                   ROUGH CUT

Firstly, for our first day of editing, my group and I had decided to hold a group meeting in order to decide which editing software would of be most effective and easy to use when constructing our final trailer. As a group we  were all familiar with how to use an editing software however we found that some members were more experienced than others. This therefore meant that certain members had to take more of a charge when it came to editing however when making major editing decisions, each group member had an input. We decided that we would use the editing software ‘Final Cut Pro’ as in comparison to other softwares such as IMovie, Final Cut Pro is suited to create HD videos of the highest quality whilst at the same time making importing HD video easy and flexible. One of our group members Jeet also conveniently already had this software installed onto her Macbook and had a successful experience using it previously. 

Once we came to a decision of what software would be most suitable, my group and I then moved on to collectively look through the footage which we shot during our production period and decide which ones we believed were the most suitable to incorporate within our trailer. In order to come to a decision, my group and I had to assess the camera quality of each shot whilst at the same time taking into consideration other factors such as  lighting, grain issues and acting. We then created a rough edit in order to give us a visual understanding of what our final production may look like. We however did not have enough time to incorporate certain factors such as sound or any major transitions therefore we decided to finish this off during our next meeting.

Once we created this rough edit, we presented it to our teacher in order for her to provide us with some critical feedback in order for my group and I to make any major improvements. Our teacher informed us that she thought our sequence of shots were extremely effective however believed that our rough cut was too short for a trailer. In order to fix this issue she advised us to incorporate other footage which previously took. In order to stay within our deadline, our teacher set the a task to act upon her feedback by the following week so she could see what improvements we have made and what aspects we still need to change. 

Overall, I believed that the first day of editing was extremely successful and beneficial for us as this allowed our group members to familiarise themselves with the editing software and also give us an understanding of what our final product will look like. 

Production: Filming Day 4

Production: Filming Day 3

Production: Filming Day 2

Production: Filming Day 1

Pre-Production: Treatment

TREATMENT

PURPOSE:

A teaser trailer is a way of marketing the release of an upcoming film in order to create brand awareness and generate excitement amongst its target audience. Through a teaser trailer we are able to highlight the codes and conventions which are present within our film, in order to establish its genre to help the audience identify whether they would be interested in watching the film or not. The teaser trailer for our horror film, “Visions”, revolves around a teenage girl called Jenna with the curse of being able to foresee the dark future. 

PRODUCTION SCHEDULE 

NARRATIVE/IDEA:

Jenna a young, beautiful girl has a secret. Her secret is that she can foresee the future however the future that she sees is filled with darkness, death and despair. Jenna ever since she was a little girl could foresee death, the death of her pet rabbit when she was six, the death of her Aunt Cara when she was ten and now at the age of eighteen she saw the upcoming death of her own mother. 

Jenna, shaken and horrified knew that she had to tell her mother of the secret which she had been hiding for the past eighteen years. Jenna saw the blood drain through her mother’s face as she informed her of the horror which she foresaw. However instead of crying out in despair, Rachel, Jenna's mother, informed her daughter that she too had a secret to tell. Rachel explained to Jenna that the ability to foresee the dark future has been one which has been passed down the family for decades due to a curse which was set upon their ancestors many years ago and that she, Rachel was also cursed. The curse gave the females of the Jacobson family the power to foresee the gruesome murder of their loved ones by an evil spirit, Valar. 

Rachel also informed her daughter that the future was fixed and there was nothing which anyone could do. Ever since Rachel had been a little girl she had done everything in her power to make the visions stop but all seized to work, instead she watched as the curse slowly took over her and her own mother's life. Therefore, Rachel knew that her upcoming death was not a matter of why however a matter of when.  

Jenna on the other hand was determined to find to the resolution of the curse which was cast upon her family and prevent her mother's gruesome death. Jenna was not going to let her mother's life be in the hands of an evil spirit therefore she set out to destroy Valar before it destroyed her life. 

The next day Jenna made her way to the 'Richson Care Home for the mentally ill' where her grandmother had been sectioned many years ago in order to find out more answers. Jenna's grandmother, Suzan however just starred outside the window in the corner of the room whispering something under her breath, seizing to acknowledge the presence of her granddaughter. However as the word 'Valar' came out of Jenna's mouth, Suzan grabbed Jenna's arm, digging her nails into her skin until she drew blood, shouting the words ' he's coming, he’s coming!' 

In the very moment Jenner closed her eyes and once she opened them she realised that she wasn't in the care home anymore next to her grandmother. However she was in a secluded, misty graveyard polluted with rows of tombstones. As Jenner bent down she was face to face with a slab of black granite which read in gold lettering ' In Memory of Rachel Jacobson'. In that moment Jenna knew that she was having another one of her visions however this time it was different, this time it felt unbelievably real. 

Jenner tried everything to escape the vision and retreat back to real life, back to her grandmother, to somewhere which was safe, anywhere but there.  All of  sudden, the sky had become darker, the air colder and Jenner felt a breeze of warm breath brushing against the back of her neck which delivered cold chills throughout her body.  She suddenly turned around and came face to face with her worst nightmare...Valar.

Will Jenna find a way to banish the spirit once and for all or will the spirit succeed in the destruction of her family? 

TARGET AUDIENCE:

After conducting some research on IMDb’s age ratings, we have decided that the target audience for our horror film, “Visions” will be 15 and above. This is as, according to IMDb, a 15 rated film potentially could contain strong violence, sexual nudity and bad language constantly throughout. However despite our horror not containing sexual nudity, at some points it contains disturbing images and, scenes of blood and violence which are not suitable for a younger audience. Our film however also can appeal to audiences above the age of 15 as traditionally horror films are mostly viewed by an older audience due to them typically being thrill seekers. 

RISK ASSESSMENT:

HAZARD	PERSON WHO MAY BE HARMED	PROPERTY WHICH MAY BE DAMAGED	RISK CONTROLS ALREADY IN PLACE	FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED TO CONTROL HAZARD	RISK ASSESSMENT LEVEL
Fake Blood	This can potentially cause harm to the actor who it is applied to. This is as if applied near the areas of the mouth, the actor possibly could swallow the artificial blood causing harm. Moreover, artificial blood may cause irritation and rash to sensitive skin due to containing toxins and chemicals.	N/A	Before purchasing the artificial blood, we must in advance ask any of the actors which is it being applied to if they have sensitive skin or any possible allergies.	We must ensure that we purchase non-toxic blood which is sensitive skin and allergy friendly. In order to do this we must ensure we purchase the blood from a trusted and safe store.	HIGH
Contact Lenses	Contact lenses may cause a high level of damage for the actor who is applying them. This is as if the actor constantly reuses the lenses, this may lead to serious dangers and infections such as  Conjunctivitis, irritation of the eyes, swollen eyes and in severe cases lead to blindness.	N/A	Before purchasing the product, we must in advance ask the actor applying the contacts if they have sensitive eyes which are prone to irritation and if they are possibly allergic to the material of the contacts	Before applying the contacts, we must ensure that the actor is properly aware of the possible risks and the way in which they can be avoided. This can be done by going onto the NHS website and reading possible ways which we can reduce any risks. Before purchasing the product we must also ensure that it is non-irritant and sensitive friendly which we will do by purchasing the product from a trusted and safe store.	HIGH
Lighted Candles	Everyone within the location.	This may cause harm to anyone/ anything in or within close proximity of the location.  This includes, props, equipment etc. This is as we are filming within a bedroom, the candle will be near fire prone objects and materials such as mattresses and bedding. Therefore if accidentally tipped over, the bedroom could be set alight which can possibly lead to a house fire to occur.	We must make sure we purchase a nonflammable candleholder which are sturdy and difficult to tip over. Furthermore, we can place the burning candle at a distance from any fire prone objects such as the bedding in order to prevent it catching fire.	Whilst filming, we must ensure that the group are aware of where the burning candle is located, preventing any chances of them going in close proximity of it and accidentally tipping it over. The person who is handling the burning candle also should ensure that they are wearing suitable clothing material which does not catch onto fire easily.	HIGH
Cable Wires	This can possibly lead to danger for everyone within the location as cables and wires can be serious tripping hazards and since wires carry electricity, they pose a shock and fire hazard, too.	N/A	Before group members arrive at my house, I will ensure to remove any loose cable wires  on the floor of my bedroom in order to prevent any accidents.	When filming, we must ensure that there are no loose cable wires in sight in order to prevent any tripping or falling over. However, before filming we will ensure that every group member is made aware of the whereabouts of cable wires and must make sure we do not film close to any cable wires.	MEDIUM
Graves	N/A	If not careful, my group and I possibly could cause damage upon graves within the graveyard due to either accidentally stepping on the grave itself or ornaments, decoration or flowers placed around them.	In order to ensure that we prevent any damage to graves, my group and I must carefully plan where located in the graveyard we would like to film.	We must make sure that when filming in the graveyard, we be as quick as possible in order to prevent to the risk of damage.	LOW
Sudden Rain	N/A	Sudden, heavy rain may possibly cause water damage to digital filming equipment such as our camera. This can also lead to the quality of our filming to  as effected as sudden rain can lead to us filming with a wet camera lens which can possibly disturb the clarity of our film.	Before setting out to film within our exterior location, we must check the weather before hand in order to see if rain is expected. If so we can reschedule our filming to another day where there is less chance of rain.	In order to reduce damage to our digital equipment, we possible could carry emergency rain equipment such as an umbrella or a raincoat. We also could purchase in a rain sleeve for our camera and its lens in order to reduce the chances of filming with a wet camera lens and any damage.	LOW

BUDGET:

EQUIPTMENT LIST:

EQUIPTMENT	IMAGE OF EQUIPTMENT	USE OF EQUIPTMENT
Fake Blood		Within our horror, artificial blood will be used as a literary and visual tool in order to visual depict and reaffirm to the audience that a character is either dead or has been mortally or superficially wounded. The use of blood is a common practical convention within the horror genre which is translated within films such as “The Exorcist” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. My group and I believe that by incorporating blood within our horror we are conforming to the common codes of this genre therefore building a stronger sense of fear amongst the audience.
Contact Lenses		The use of white contacts are vital in order to portray an unsettling feeling amongst the audience as the uncommon eye colour automatically make the audience suspicious of the character’s motives and realise that something is not right. As seen previously within horrors such as “The Exorcist”, “Drag Me to Hell” and “The Devil Inside”, white contacts are commonly used in order to demonstrate when character is in possession of an evil spirit however, looking at other examples such as “The Eye”, white contacts are also used in order to present to the audience that the main character is blind. Therefore by ending our trailer with an extra close-up shot of a white coloured eye, it will leave our trailer with cliff-hanger leaving the audience to ask questions which encourages them to watch the film in order to find out answers to these questions.
Candles		Most films traditionally use specific objects as metaphors in order to convey a specific concept.  Candles are traditionally connoted to mysticism and danger; therefore by featuring them within our horror as a source of flickering light, will intensify the mood, emphasize key themes and foreshadow events.
Candle Holder		The candle holder used will be similar to the image presented to the left. My group and I would like to ensure that the appearance of the candle holder will match the overall theme of our horror therefore we decided that by purchasing a Victorian, vintage candle holder will be effective in conveying the mystical theme our horror aims for. The candle holder will also be essential in stabilising the candle therefore preventing the candle tipping over whilst filming.
Vintage Newspaper/books		The vintage newspaper will be used as a key indicator to make apparent to the audience that the main character, Jenna, is attempting to solve a certain mystery by conducting some research. The books and papers which will be used will be quite beaten and torn which possibly could suggest to the audience that the books Jenna is reading are not from this day or age therefore reinforcing a mystical theme.
Jewellery Box		The jewellery box which we will like to use is presented on the left. We decided to incorporate props such as a jewellery box in order to give the audience an insight of the character’s personality. However also ensured that the appearance of the jewellery box also correlates to the theme of our trailer.
Camera		Within the making of our horror trailer we will be using a professional camera called “Nikon D3300 Digital SLR” in order to ensure that we produce a high quality product. Using this professional camera allows us to film within different types of lighting without a grainy effect due its high-resolution sensor. This overall will ensure that our film is high in clarity making it more effective.
Fairy Lights		Fairy lights will be used within the making of our trailer not only to used as a source of light however also to reinforce a mystical theme.
Dream Catcher		Dream catchers are commonly used in order for the centre of the web to catch any bad dreams that a person may be experiencing. By incorporating a dream catcher within our horror trailer will hint to the audience that the character within our film possibly is also experiencing some type of bad dream of presence which they are in need to get rid of. The dream catcher again reinforces a mystical theme.
Tripod		Within our horror trailer, we will be incorporating a mixture of different shots including handheld and still shots. In creating a still shot or any transitions such as panning, we will need to use a tripod in order to ensure that the camera does not shake or jerk. This is as if the camera does move, this may affect the continuity of our trailer overall making it appear unprofessional.

PRODUCTION ROLES:

Production Roles- Faiza Wasim from Faiza Wasim

CONTINGENCY PLAN

RISK ASSESSMENT:

HAZARD	PERSON WHO MAY BE HARMED	PROPERTY WHICH MAY BE DAMAGED	RISK CONTROLS ALREADY IN PLACE	FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED TO CONTROL HAZARD	RISK ASSESSMENT LEVEL
Fake Blood	This can potentially cause harm to the actor who it is applied to. This is as if applied near the areas of the mouth, the actor possibly could swallow the artificial blood causing harm. Moreover, artificial blood may cause irritation and rash to sensitive skin due to containing toxins and chemicals.	N/A	Before purchasing the artificial blood, we must in advance ask any of the actors which is it being applied to if they have sensitive skin or any possible allergies.	We must ensure that we purchase non-toxic blood which is sensitive skin and allergy friendly. In order to do this we must ensure we purchase the blood from a trusted and safe store.	HIGH
Contact Lenses	Contact lenses may cause a high level of damage for the actor who is applying them. This is as if the actor constantly reuses the lenses, this may lead to serious dangers and infections such as  Conjunctivitis, irritation of the eyes, swollen eyes and in severe cases lead to blindness.	N/A	Before purchasing the product, we must in advance ask the actor applying the contacts if they have sensitive eyes which are prone to irritation and if they are possibly allergic to the material of the contacts	Before applying the contacts, we must ensure that the actor is properly aware of the possible risks and the way in which they can be avoided. This can be done by going onto the NHS website and reading possible ways which we can reduce any risks. Before purchasing the product we must also ensure that it is non-irritant and sensitive friendly which we will do by purchasing the product from a trusted and safe store.	HIGH
Lighted Candles	Everyone within the location.	This may cause harm to anyone/ anything in or within close proximity of the location.  This includes, props, equipment etc. This is as we are filming within a bedroom, the candle will be near fire prone objects and materials such as mattresses and bedding. Therefore if accidentally tipped over, the bedroom could be set alight which can possibly lead to a house fire to occur.	We must make sure we purchase a nonflammable candleholder which are sturdy and difficult to tip over. Furthermore, we can place the burning candle at a distance from any fire prone objects such as the bedding in order to prevent it catching fire.	Whilst filming, we must ensure that the group are aware of where the burning candle is located, preventing any chances of them going in close proximity of it and accidentally tipping it over. The person who is handling the burning candle also should ensure that they are wearing suitable clothing material which does not catch onto fire easily.	HIGH
Cable Wires	This can possibly lead to danger for everyone within the location as cables and wires can be serious tripping hazards and since wires carry electricity, they pose a shock and fire hazard, too.	N/A	Before group members arrive at my house, I will ensure to remove any loose cable wires  on the floor of my bedroom in order to prevent any accidents.	When filming, we must ensure that there are no loose cable wires in sight in order to prevent any tripping or falling over. However, before filming we will ensure that every group member is made aware of the whereabouts of cable wires and must make sure we do not film close to any cable wires.	MEDIUM
Graves	N/A	If not careful, my group and I possibly could cause damage upon graves within the graveyard due to either accidentally stepping on the grave itself or ornaments, decoration or flowers placed around them.	In order to ensure that we prevent any damage to graves, my group and I must carefully plan where located in the graveyard we would like to film.	We must make sure that when filming in the graveyard, we be as quick as possible in order to prevent to the risk of damage.	LOW
Sudden Rain	N/A	Sudden, heavy rain may possibly cause water damage to digital filming equipment such as our camera. This can also lead to the quality of our filming to  as effected as sudden rain can lead to us filming with a wet camera lens which can possibly disturb the clarity of our film.	Before setting out to film within our exterior location, we must check the weather before hand in order to see if rain is expected. If so we can reschedule our filming to another day where there is less chance of rain.	In order to reduce damage to our digital equipment, we possible could carry emergency rain equipment such as an umbrella or a raincoat. We also could purchase in a rain sleeve for our camera and its lens in order to reduce the chances of filming with a wet camera lens and any damage.	LOW

CHARACTER ANALYSIS AND CAST LIST:

Character Analysis and Cast List- Faiza Wasim from Faiza Wasim

Pre-Production: Test Shots

Pre-Production: Change of Casting

Within my previous post, I mentioned that we decided to hire Estina Lauretta to play the character of Jenna Johnson, and Sakura Suzuki to play her mother, Rachel Johnson. However, unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, actress Sakura Suzuki no longer is able to partake within the production of our horror film. 

My group and I made sure that before we officially hired the actresses, we requested that they inform us as soon as possible if they for some reason are unable to film or no longer wish to be apart of our production. Sakura, therefore, informed us of her decision straight away which was helpful for our group as this gave us time to find a replacement before filming officially began. I previously mentioned within my contingency plan that if an issue like this occurred, we would be prepared as we already have two understudies who are ready to take the actress’ places. However, unfortunately, our understudy for the role of Jenna Johnson, also now is unavailable to film due to having a busy schedule. This, therefore, required my group to quickly find a suitable actress to play the part of Rachel Johnson, however, we found this extremely difficult to do and had no other choice but to use one of our group members, Bavleen Korana to take upon this role. 

During post-production, we initially set to hire two actresses of the same ethnicity to play the role the characters in order to make it obvious to the audience that they were related in some way. However, despite both being Asian, Bavleen and Estina do not share the same ethnicity as Bavleen is Indian and Estina is Philippine. This, therefore, forced my group to cut certain scenes from the trailer which would show Rachel’s face as this would ultimately confuse the audience and make our storyline unclear. Instead, we decided to feature Rachel in only one scene however within this scene, the audience will not be able to tell that Bavleen is playing the character as they will be unable to identify her due to her face being fully covered by her hair. 

Although this issue has resulted in my group and I to be forced to change certain parts of our trailer and essentially cut out the character of Rachel, we believe we still can make our trailer effective and clear if we correctly use the conventions the horror genre. 

Bavleen Korana as Rachel Johnson. 

Pre-Production: Character Analysis and Cast List

Character Analysis and Cast List- Faiza Wasim from Faiza Wasim

Pre-Production: Casting Auditions

The video presented above shows the auditions which my group and I held in order to find a suitable and professional actress to partake within the production of our horror trailer, ‘Visions’. 

Within our horror teaser, we do not have any dialogue present, therefore, we are heavily reliant on the body language and facial expressions of our actors in order to present our message clearly to the audience. My group and I, however, felt that it is easier to assess acting abilities through the actors performing lines rather than acting out gestures. Therefore, within the audition, we instructed the actors to read the following lines; “I'm seeing things that aren't real. I'm seeing things that I shouldn't see. I'm dreaming things that I've never seen. This surgery was supposed to make me normal.”  The lines which the actors read out were from the 2008 American supernatural horror film ‘The Eye’. The plot of the film revolves around a young female called Sydney Wells who has been blind since she was five years old due to an accident. After going through a surgery of cornea transplantation to recover her vision, she comes to find that she's having strange visions and with the help of Dr. Paul Faulkner, she begins to find out the truth behind her visions. The plot of the film, ‘The Eye’ holds many similarities to our own plot, therefore my group and I believed that it was helpful to use this script as a basis to judge the acting abilities of our candidates. 

My group and I were extremely impressed actress, Estina Lauretta’s, audition as not only did she conduct herself in a professional manner however it was clear to us she that she had a strong sense of passion and willingness to act. We, therefore, came to the decision to hire her as the lead role of Jenna Johnson as we believe she will perform this role with confidence and enthusiasm.  On the other hand, although we realised that actress, Sakura Suzuki, came across shy within her audition, we still believe that she also has a strong passion for acting and therefore will be suitable for the role of Rachel Johnson. The actress explained to us that when it comes to performing lines, she is quite shy however acting out gestures and facial expressions are her strength. The issues regarding the actress' confidence, are therefore tackled as our script does not require our actress to speak however it is solely based upon her ability to act out certain gestures.

It was essential that both actress' which we hired for the role of character's held either similar or the same ethnicity as we need to make apparent to the audience that both these characters are related. Therefore, by hiring two actresses which are both from an Asian background will be effective in portraying to the audience that these characters hold a mother and daughter relationship. 

Upon reflection, I believe that along with instructing the candidates to perform lines, we also should have also asked them to act out the gestures they will be performing within the teaser trailer in order to grasp a better understanding of their acting abilities. However, we overall feel confident with both of the choices which we made and believe that each actress will carry out her role confidently and professionally.