The document summarizes the student's research and experiments for their horror film project. According to secondary research, horror films are most popular with 16-18 year olds. However, the student's primary research with classmates found they preferred action films. The student decided on a 15 rating and targeting 16-17 year olds. They experimented with camera shots, sound editing, and microphones. Organizing production is challenging due to scheduling conflicts. Location scouting also poses difficulties in finding an appropriate abandoned site.

1. STAGE 2
RESEARCH +
EXPERIMENTS
Your name here

4. After getting my primary research
results and comparing them to the
secondary research I gathered I'm
not sure that horror is really as good
as what the secondary research
says as the people who took the
survey are in my class and are all
16-18 year olds and that was my
target audience and they said they
prefer action films.

5.  Research viewing figures, sales figures, demographic and psychographic info.
Look up article, features or stories related to your potential audience
 My short film will be horror themed therefore I’m going to be looking at the
demographic for ages that prefer to watch horror films so that I can then give
myself a target audience. The IT film demographic shows that the younger ages
less than 18 prefer horror films and gave them a better rating. Also the female
audience preferred it over the males.

6.  It’s clear that from my research I have done that if I want to make a short film on horror that the age group I
should be targeting is anywhere from 16-18 year olds as this is the age group that from the reviews seems to
be into horror films more than the older generations.
 Looking at sales of box office horror films seem to do really good, only 32% of horror films fail.
 This is giving me confidence to create my horror short film as I know that people will defiantly watch it .
 https://www.quora.com/How-do-horror-movies-and-slasher-films-typically-fare-with-respect-to-the-
Bechdel-test

7.  My target audience for my short film will be 15 because I want 16-17 year olds to
be able to watch it as from my secondary research they are the target audience I
want to be focusing on as they give the best reviews and are most likely to watch
my horror film.
 My decision was between 15 & 18 because there could have been some
inappropriate language in there but I decided to keep it clean.
 I feel like my movie won’t be scary enough to push it up to an 18. I’m going to
make it as scary for my viewers as I can but also I would like to keep some
comedy in there.

8.  U Universal – Suitable for all. A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over,
although it is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. U films should be set within
a positive framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.
 PG Parental Guidance – General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. A
PG film should not unsettle a child aged around eight or older. Unaccompanied children of any
age may watch, but parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger, or more
sensitive, children.
 12A/12 – Suitable for 12 years and over. No one younger than 12 may see
a 12A film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult. Adults planning to take a child under 12
to view a 12A film should consider whether the film is suitable for
that child. To help them decide,
we recommend that they check the BBFCinsight for that film in advance.
 15 – Suitable only for 15 years and over. No one younger than 15 may see a 15 film in a cinema. No
one younger than 15 may rent or buy a 15 rated video work.
 18 – Suitable only for adults. No one younger than 18 may see an 18 film in a cinema. No one younger
than 18 may rent or buy an 18 rated video work.
 R18 - To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to
adults only
 The R18 category is a special and legally-restricted classification primarily for explicit works of
consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. Films may only be shown to adults in
specially licensed cinemas, and video works may be supplied to adults only in licensed sex shops.
R18 video works may not be supplied by mail order.

9.  Research potential production techniques you might want to use
or feel would be most appropriate – these can be related to
camera, editing, story, sound, etc
 You should look at a minimum of 3 related products in your
research.
 You should collect clips/still images/how to guides/etc that might
help you. When watching scenes from films, etc you could also
ask potential target audience what they think.
 You will need to add extra slides!
 With each technique you should assess whether you can use it or
how you might employ or why you may want to disregard it
completely

10.  In the film Kingsman which is an action comedy film. The colour gradient for this
film is visually appealing for example the colour on primary colours are more
enhanced in a lot of the scenes because its makes it stand out from most other
things.
 I would like to try enhancing some of the colours that I shoot in my horror film, for
example I want to shoot in an isolated possibly abandoned location and I could
edit the greys to really pop amongst the greens of nature overgrowing into the
buildings.

11.  The other week I was given a scene from Shaun of the Dead that had no sound. I
had to go out and collect most of the noises for the scene myself and I enjoyed
that. Also Shaun of the Dead is a horror and comedy which is what I’m trying to
achieve in my short film and this will really help with me creating my film because
the scene itself was only 90 seconds long. This has given me a good
understanding on what I have to work with and how much small details can affect
it.
 I would like to add my own noises of screaming, creaky doors opening and
closing, slamming etc. This will allow me to be fully in control of the video
compared to going to film on the day and having people going through doors and
slamming them because I can then enhance the noise of the doors and over
exaggerate the sound of it. This will allow an even more intense experience for my
audience.

12.  Camera angles filmed in horror films are often close ups. This intensifies the mood
because you finally see what the audience has been scared of throughout the
whole film. This is a key part because it realises all the suspense that been built
up. For example this close up shot of the joker put of the Dark Knight rises really
allows the audience to get a feeling of how creepy looking the villains can be.
 I would like to use this as my way of revelling the monster in my horror film. Also I
would like to use a 1st person view. This would allow me to strap the camera onto
an actors head or chest and get footage which allows the audience to feel like
their the ones running. I could you a go pro for this.

13. EXPERIMENTS
Camera/Editing/Audio Experiments
Be prepared to add extra slides

14.  When filming our group video we had a task to complete which was
a storyline giving to us by Ben with several different camera shots
and lines which needed to be said by the actors.
 We had to go around college and find suitable locations for us to
film the footage that we needed. Also had to make sure that there
was no one else in the shot that wasn’t meant to be in the scene.
 We used a camera on a tripod for most of the shots so that they
where steady and clear. Randall was operating the camera whilst I
was directing and guiding him to try get the best shots.

15.  I will include different camera shots in my final experiment such as
close ups, long shots, etc. Also from different angles of height.
 I will try to use the camera shots effectively so that I can add fear
more from the shots.
 For example I could do a close up of me looking at the villain giving
that audience an element of fright.
 Most of my work will be free hand therefore I might have to do some of
the shots over until I get them right.

16.  When I was editing the video I had to ensure that there was no
errors with the video clips and that they all fitted in okay one after
another.
 I had to trim the clips down so that the video came to 60 seconds. I
also had to make sure that the conversations between Charlie and
Leon made sense. I had a lot of cut scenes between their
conversation so I edited different types of transitions, so I had a
dissolve, wipe, etc. This gave the multiple cut scenes and back and
forth conversation more appealing to the audience.
 I also added an intense beat when Jude was running to emphasise
that scene and to foreshadow that something was going to happen.
Which it did when Jude ran into Charlie and Leon, you didn’t know
how they was going to react to Jude knocking them down.

17. When it comes to editing my video I will be using quite a lot of sound effects in
my editing as this adds suspense to the film which is what I need when I'm
going to be creating a horror film.
I’m also going to try different techniques of cutting between the scenes,
instead of using the basic dissolve of wipe I'm going to try use something you
don’t see very often and see if it works with the film or not.
I would like to try design my own beat which will allow me to make it fit in with
the scenes better rather than have to find a beat to go with it.

18.  Originally we struggled to pick up the audio for the
conversation between Charlie and Leon, also when Jude talks.
 To solve this problem we had to come back to the classroom
to get a microphone to go onto the camera which then allowed
us to pick up the conversations more clearer than what we had
previously managed to get.
 We had problems whilst recording outside because it was a
windy day and the microphone managed to pick the wind up
really good. This meant that when it came to editing the video
it made it hard to add stuff over the top of it.

19.  I'm going to make sure that when I'm recording for my film that there
wont be too much wind if any so that I can edit and not have to worry
about the wind ruining it.
 I'm also going to make sure that when it comes to recording my film
my microphone will already be on my camera so that I wont loose
anytime trying to find one.
 Also because I’m going to be filming in an abandoned location
hopefully ill have to be careful of other people exploring, safety
dangers and that my microphone doesn’t pick up any birds or other
noises I might come across to affect my editing afterwards.

20.  I’m hoping I will be able to lend a college camera to allow me to record my video
outside of college time.
 I work a lot outside of college and rarely have a free schedule so it will be difficult to
make time to film my video how I want it.
 It shouldn’t cost anything unless I buy a mask or weapon for my video. Possibly there
will be fuel money spent on getting to and from the location I decide to film at.
 Hopefully I will be able to get Jude and Randall to star in my film but if they can’t I will
have to ask my friends from outside of college.
 Location will be difficult to find that spooky, safe and isn't illegal to be on the premises
or filming. Also because of the location it will make it difficult for me to film with Jude
and Randall because they live far away from me and I don’t want to be travelling as this
would cost fuel money.
 Organising the production will be difficult because not only do I have a tight schedule
my friends all work as well and I only see them one or twice a month at the minute with
myself and themselves having college as well as work it’s difficult where as if I was to
record this in summer this wouldn’t have been a problem.