Evaluation/Reflection

context

I think the context section of my FMP was successful, as I gained a clear idea of my project and communicated it to others. This section has helped me a lot to prepare for production as I made a timetable to help me work through it at a steady pace, a project proposal and statement of intent which was useful as having my ideas written down can help me see the whole idea and avoid getting overwhelmed or forgetting my plans. These documents demonstrate to my lecturers my intentions. During this section I also came up with my ideas for characters and set and I think this page communicates my plans well with a lot of reasoning which is important. This means that people who read this page will get an in-depth understanding of the context of my project and the reasons behind my decisions, which I was aiming for.

Research

I think I have completed sufficient secondary research for my FMP, as I have gathered a much greater understanding of my chosen type of media and the genre after researching from sources online. I learnt more about audio as well and the typical styles of soundtrack and sound effects used in the horror genre, which is really useful as I learnt how music can portray different ideas and feelings. I also researched aesthetics/colour schemes and how they portray different moods and atmospheres, and how I can use colour to represent emotion in my film. Although I think I did enough secondary research, I feel like I could have done a bit more primary research. The survey I made for part of my primary research was very helpful and this went very successfully as I got more than 30 responses from a big range of different age groups. This meant I was able to get an idea of who typically liked what and how to adapt my ideas more to my target audience. I also did observational studies where I studied my chosen location and worked out how to best utilise it to work with my plan. I was planning on interviewing my friends who fit into the most common age range of horror movie viewers, however this was never carried out; I think this would've been useful though because they could've given me their own opinions and experiences with horror movies in much more detail. Overall I am happy with the amount of research I did and I learnt plenty of information about my chosen piece of media which can help me make an effective movie.

Practical skills

I am very pleased with the Practical Skills section of my FMP. In this section I made various things which would help me practically during the production process. I bagan by making a treatment which was helpful as it was a brief summary of the events in my film, which helped me get an overview before making a more detailed script. I used Google to guide me on how to layout a treatment correctly, as I had never made one before. I also came up with a storyline, which was also to help me make the script as I could make dialogue and plan what the actor needs to do depending on what is happening. This was fairly easy to do because I already had quite a clear idea on the plot. I planned out the costume and makeup for each actor so I could really construct each character and get a firm idea of the mood and vibe of the character and what the actor should try to portray. Although I made costume and makeup plans, they differed slightly when it came to actual production. This is partly due to the weather but also due to lack of resources. Since the weather was much more warm than originally thought, it was too hot for Paloma to wear joggers and a hoodie, so instead she wore grey shorts and a black t-shirt. This worked out well though because the outfit still portrayed the same style of outfit I was going for. Due to lack of resources and the weather, Maya wore a long black maxi dress to accommodate for the heat with a black zipped up windbreaker coat. I would have added more layers to this outfit to further imply the character is not entirely human, however we had to safe in the hot sun. We did not do the makeup I was planning on Paloma because she already wearing her chosen makeup for the day and I didn't want my actors' personal lives to be interrupted by my film. Using templates online, I printed out some storyboard so I could begin planning shots. I drew each shot in pencil and wrote a brief description below. Making storyboards was really helpful because I could visualise what I wanted the shots to look like and it helped me know the footage I wanted, meaning production would be more efficient. This was also fun for me because I like drawing. Making the script was easy as I knew I wasn't going to include much dialogue. This meant I just had to write the screenplay of each piece of action with the small bit of dialogue at the beginning. I used knowledge and skills I have gathered from drama GCSE to make my script correct and professional. After making the script, I gave the actors a copy so they could get an overview of what their role includes before we started shooting. Testing the location is important so I went to 2 potential locations I was planning on filming at and carry out test shoots. I filmed footage in the way I was going to film it for the actual thing so I could get a preview of how it would look. I went into Premiere Pro and experimented with editing the clips to see what I like for when it comes to editing the actual thing. This was really helpful as I now had a physical preview of my film, and I was happy to continue with my plans of filming the footage in a gritty, raw style because I liked the way my test shoots came out. From the Government website, I used their template for a risk assessment and filled it out after going to the location and seeing what the environment is like. This was to ensure that me, the actors, the public and the environment would stay safe during production. From the risk assessment I was able to construct an equipment list of things I need to bring to set. We brought everything on the list apart from a bin bag and a complete first aid kit, however this did not prove to be an issue as we did not drop any litter and no one was injured in the slightest. The last practical thing I made was a cast proposal, which provided each actor's name for each role, the general mood of the character, their costume and then a section for their signatures, which they wrote and sent a picture of to me. On the cast proposal I wrote a statement saying what they are consenting to by signing the form, to make sure they were fully aware of what was being asked. Getting my cast list confirmed was very helpful as I could begin planning when to shoot and the actors would have time to know what they have to do. Overall I am extremely pleased with the amount of practical skills I did, and they all benefited me in some way.

Post-production

The filming process went mostly smoothly. We filmed clips over a total of 2 days, however I started to film previously but some plans changed so we restarted. This turned out to be helpful anyway because I watched the old footage and knew what I wanted to improve about it, so it basically acted as a rough draft. I used my script and storyboard to make sure I get in all pieces of action and dialogue and get a variety of shot types. Each day of filming wasn't too long - about an hour-two hours per day. At the end of filming I was very pleased with the footage I got. However, I was planning on making my film a bit longer but there wasn't much more footage I could get that wasn't just scenery shots, and I already had plenty of those and I wanted a balance of action and cinematography. This is fine though because I would rather have a better quality, shorter film than a film that could become boring because it's too dragged out. I think I successful recorded clips that represented the style I was planning, and I think the grittiness is apparent, especially after editing. Actors Lorenzo and Maya were recorded saying their lines in the beginning; I asked them to sound angry and with a raised voice, and I think they lived up to those expectations successfully. I edited the whole film using Adobe Premiere Pro as this software is most suitable for my project in my opinion. Premiere Pro is my favourite Adobe Software so this worked in my favour and made editing easier and more fun. I planned to use colour filters to enhance the grittiness and rawness of my film, and this was a good idea as I really like the colour filter I picked. I picked the "SL Matrix Green" colour filter preset and also lowered the exposure to give the film a darker, more eerie atmosphere. The colour filter turned out pretty much exactly how I was aiming for it to be. I added in cyclical structure with the shot type of the beginning shot and end shot as it is an interesting touch and could show how the protagonist ends up back where she started and is trapped. This analysis makes sense because the Figure is the representation of her dark thoughts and issues and how they don't leave easily. I was aiming to include one or two jumpscares however I found it hard to make it actually scary. Despite this there are a few shots that cause tension and suspense, so I am happy with that anyway. Originally I was thinking of doing either a psychological film or a compilation/edit of a topic with music in the background. I think the compilation would've been easier because it wouldn't involve things like a storyline or character planning, however I am glad I challenged myself because I have been able to incorporate more pre-production skills into my work. I stuck to the majority of my original ideas apart from some small things like what the figure looked like. This was because when it came to shooting it proved to be much harder to represent the figure in supernatural way to an extent, so I made-do with what clothes I had, but the way the actor portrays the character is what I was aiming for. The location I picked was pretty similar to my inspiration images, however I was planning on the film taking place at dusk but due to actor's availability it takes place just before sunset. Despite this I attempted to use filters in Premiere Pro which darken the footage, getting progressively darker as the film goes on to give the sense that the sun has set and it's getting dark. This went mostly successful because you can see it get darker from the beginning of the film to the end, although its not the most accurate as I am limited with my editing skills, especially in lighting. In the beginning of my film, I was planning to use a sound effect of a baby crying to add to the chaos in the protagonist's home, but I didn't do that because I didn't want it to override the shouting and the audience to not be able to understand it. Overall, I think I achieved most of the horror conventions that I researched, for example a balance of fantasy and normal. I used shots of the surroundings which was effective because it reminds the audience that this is real life, and everything would be normal if the antagonist wasn't present. I also used perpetual discomfort during the shots of the antagonist standing still, and this builds suspense and a fear that they could attack at any moment. Other common horror conventions that I think show in my work are low-key lighting and dark colour palettes, which I used to make the atmosphere dark and bleak to further enhance the creepy mood. I was intending on using pathetic fallacy, but this was dependant on the weather so was therefore out of my control. Another technique I used in my film was being set in a secluded location - there was no one else around and trees were surrounding the area. This could increase the suspense even more because it gives a feeling of being trapped and cornered. I also tried to lure the audience into a false sense of relaxation, only to be surprised by what comes next. I did this with use of calming music and peaceful, slow shots to make everything feel calm. When choosing the soundtrack for my film, I knew I wanted about 3 songs for each section of the film - slow and peaceful in the beginning, anxiety-inducing when things get creepy, and then dramatic and intense during the chase. I used a no-copyright, free download with credit website called "Uppbeat" to find songs that were suitable. I think I picked effective music, espeically the second track as it uses intruments that are typically used in horror movies such as string instruments. This song also has an irregular rhythm which gives a feeling of uncertainty and instability to the audience, increasing tension. I like the other tracks I picked as well; the first is very peaceful and atmospheric, meaning the audience won't suspect anything scary for a while. Between the first and second song, there is a moment of silence which I think is very effective because it indicates that something is about to happen, but the audience has no idea what it could be, which could cause more anxiety. The last track I like how it matches up with the ending - there's one final beat which goes in time with the final shot, which demonstrates the moment of realisation of defeat from the protagonist, and the beat adds impact to the realisation in my opinion. Another technique I used to convey character dynamics is use of shot types. For example, when the protagonist falls on the floor and looks up, the camera being much higher up than her indicates that something is bigger and overpowering her, and she is intimidated by it. Another shot that does this is the behind shot of her sitting on the bench. The camera's point of view is the antagonists point of view, implying that they are stood behind her. More shots that are in the point of view of the antagonist is when the protagonist is running and the camera is following her. I think using the camera to show the antagonist's point of view is effective because it confirms to the audience that they are present and ready to attack their target, and it also is interesting to have the film show different perspectives of each character. The protagonist only has one line in the whole film, which is near the end where she says "oh shit". I think the use of one line, especially a short line which demonstrates her moment of fear, is very effective because its the first time she speaks so this line feels significant and meaningful, like she is truely terrified in this moment, more than she was before. If there was anything I would've done better, it would probably be to make my film longer. This way I can include more backstory, a more detailed plot and I could've included more horror elements. I also would've planned the shooting days better according to the weather so that I could use pathetic fallacy, which I think is really effective in films when trying to portray a depressing, dull but scary atmosphere. Overall though, I am very happy with how my film turned out as I was expecting not to be able to do some of the things I planned. I like the camera movement style, the colour scheme, the music and although I would've liked to make the antagonist appear less human, I was aware that there were limited resources so I am still satisfied with it. Something I wish could be improved is the over-saturation in a couple of clips. For some reason adobe added a filter during export, and I couldn't change without changing the film's file format to something I wouldn't be able to work with. I tried finding solutions on Google and discovered other people have had the same issue but was unable to find a fix for it. I am proud of my work, and another thing I liked was the credits in the beginning as I think they go best when the film is slow-paced and relaxed. I picked the title "Leech" as it is simple but also idiomatic as it does not mean it's literal meaning. The word "leech" is to imply the characteristics of a leech - that they stick to you and drain you of your blood. In the context of my film, the antagonist is a leech because it has clung to the protagonist and is draining her mental health. I am pleased with this title, and I am pleased with my project as a whole.

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