This document summarizes Emily Grace Porter's reflections on her production process for a short thriller film. In the first week, she created a mind map of ideas from the film's prompt and conducted audience research through a questionnaire. She also researched techniques from films like "Room" and "Contagion" to inform her production. In subsequent weeks, she storyboarded, planned shots and casting, and completed her proposal. She filmed over two nights but lost editing time due to camera issues. Finally, she edited the footage and conducted an evaluation that reviewed her process and responded to feedback.

1. STAGE 5
PRODUCTION
REFLECTIONS
Emily Grace Porter

2.  This proforma is to record how you worked on your production
 You should complete this each week during production
 Consider all relevant areas that you covered that week
 Think about what worked/what didn’t work/how you can improve
and actions for the following sessions/weeks

3. The first thing I did was overlook the brief. I knew I had to
incorporate the time in some way and the statement “that
wasn’t supposed to happen”, therefore I started with the
statement in the middle of a mind map and grew my ideas from
their. From the statement I got what I wanted to happen then I
got my genre and it just kept growing with different ideas all
getting thrown on to the mind map. Some of these ideas never
made it past the mind map but still helped with the ideas
process as I allowed myself to think with no boundaries getting
lots of ideas before narrowing it down to the ideas that would
portray to an authentic yet simple thriller piece.
Once I had my story, I drew a quick draft of a storyboard. I also
made a mood board of just things that, to the eye, related to my
ideas for my thriller film.

4. I conducted my Audience research (primary and secondary) by creating a questionnaire (“what makes a thriller
film) and had 7 people aged (17-25) answer the question and feed back their answer. I also did some
secondary research by researching other thriller films that I can relate to mine, looking at the editing and mise-
en-scene in particular.
My questionnaire helped my with a few decisions I couldn’t decide myself. For example I asked “ in your
opinion, for a one man Thriller film, which sex would convince you or portray a better thriller,” the results
showed out of 7 participants, 1 participant voted female, 2 voted male and 2 voted that the sex didn't’t make a
difference therefore from this data I chose to feature a male as the main and only role.
For my secondary research I looked at the films “ROOM” and “Contagion”. I looked at Room because the
location was nearly identical to what I wanted to achieve. I wanted the film in a small studio styled flat. I believe
that by having a close proximity setting heightens the suspense by giving the audience a feeling of claustrophobia and
making them feel uncomfortable. Room does this by the setting and context of the film, I want to do this by the
atmosphere and the location has a big part to play with the dark atmosphere I want to create.
Now all my ideas have come together and I have my story I them completed a final storyboard and along side
this I created a shot list, I did these together so ensure I was planning my film in the best way visually. When it
comes to filming I want to know exactly what shots need to be taken and when, making it the easiest and
simplest way for myself and therefore can spend more time editing.
I also completed a cast list and finalised my location. The cast list was fairly easy as I already knew there was
going to one character only, and I already knew who I wanted to play the character. And finalising my location
wasn’t difficult as I’ve chosen my own studio flat as the location.

5. This week I completed my proposal, which is the overall formal plan of my
short film. This includes; specific information on my audience, my project
concept, the main production techniques I want to use and a week by week
schedule.
I did some research to extend my knowledge on bbfc. I looked at each
classification and chose he most fitting for my film. I chose the bbfc 15
classification because of the genre and the context (death scene0 I don’t
think my film is suitable for viewers under the age of 15 years old.
I looked at loads of different production techniques what are usually used in
thriller/horror films. I extended my research with a specific chosen three
techniques and added examples of the techniques used in known successful
films in old and new media. I explained why and when I wanted to use the
techniques and also how I planned on doing so. The techniques and
examples I focused on where:
 Montage – Pyscho (shower scene) (1960)
 Push in – Assassination of Jesse James by coward Robert Ford (2007)
 Panning shot – Clownwise (2013)

6. Filming – editing
This week I focused on getting my project filmed. So far in the process this is the
most important part, and to make my film successful I have to ensure certain things
whilst filming, for example I need to make sure the tripod is set up right and levelled
to where I want it, also the lighting needs to be at bright as possible so in after
effect, making the gloomy dark atmosphere will be capable because I can
manipulate the already used lighting if I was to film with already dark lighting I wont
be able to do much to it because there is no light to manipulate. The filming stage
panned over the space of two nights, due to camera technical difficulties, therefore I
lost a full day editing which did set me back but I managed to get it done.

7. Editing – evaluation
On the fifth week I finished editing together the footage, and added in the audio
and took a full day to fit the audio perfectly with the footage. After the editing
was all complete I could move on to my evaluation. In my evaluation I wrote
about the struggles I faced and how I either overcame them or had to find a
solution. My evaluation looks closely at each of the following stages: planning,
research, time management, technical qualities (camera/ audio and editing),
aesthetic qualities and the audience appeal. It also summerised my response
and how I responded to different feedbacks.