Ben Brown plans to film an independent horror film project using locations around York. He found an abandoned house that would work well for exterior shots. Interior shots will be filmed in his home to resemble a horror location. His equipment includes an iPad, tripod, microphone, and iMovie for editing. As he only has his parents to assist, they will take on multiple roles in filming and acting. He outlines costumes, weapons, and plans to learn practical gory effects. Music and sound effects will be added to enhance tension. A schedule is included to complete filming and editing at his home and college by mid-April. Health and safety precautions are considered for equipment, costumes, filming locations, and practical effects.

1. Pre-Production
By Ben Brown

2. Pre-production
Assessment

3. Locations
I plan to film exterior shots of a house
outside our neighborhood because it
perfectly fits with the slasher location
stereotypes (it’s an abandoned looking
structure in an isolated place), I did
reconnaissance by going around York and
looking at many rustic and old areas for my
establishing shots but then I found a house in
a perfect empty location with many good
angles to film from. I tried to find the perfect
place to film interior shots from but none of
them were easy to access and they didn’t feel
like a horror location, I will film in my home
and use lighting effects, different camera
shots and a variety of locations such as the
garage to create the effect of a horror film.
The iPad I film everything on will also be used
to edit everything with the help of iMovie. I’ll
edit the project in my house and York
College.

4. Locations
The two limitations of my project are the lighting and
the lack of crew members for my filming and acting
roles. The whole project must be filmed at night, but I’ll
have to wait for it to get dark which will slow
production, and the day lasting longer which leaves less
night leaves me with a smaller window to film. I can
deal with this problem by either filming before the day
gets longer or by using the blinds and curtains in my
house to make everything dark even when its daytime.
My crew is only limited to me and my parents which
leaves us with less actors and a lot of film roles will
have to be managed by the same people which make
everything complicated, all of this will slow down
production. I can deal with this problem by making an
organized routine and project management schedule
setting out who will manage what role when to make
the filming and editing completed on schedule.

5. Equipment
1. iPad: I’m going to use my iPad to
film all the scenes and
establishing shots I need.
2. Tripod: I’m going to use my
tripod to hold my iPad properly
to get steadily filmed footage.
3. Microphone: I’m going to use
my microphone to record all the
dialogue in my project.
4. iMovie: I’ll use iMovie to edit my
project together.
5. Computer: I’ll use my college
computer to access my
publishing websites to upload
my film
6. YouTube: I’ll use YouTube to
publish my film.
7. Wix: I’ll use Wix to upload my
film so my teachers can see it
and mark it.

6. Personnel
Crew: My team is comprised of my
parents and I where job roles are going to
have to be allocated between each of us
because we have a lack of crew. My dad’s
strengths are that he’s good at acting and
somewhat talented with using a camera,
but his weaknesses are he stops acting or
can’t focus in public because of
embarrassment. My mum’s strengths are
that she’s talented with using the camera
for artistic shots and transitions, she’s
also good at helping me edit, but her
weaknesses are she can’t act properly and
is a perfectionist when it comes to
camera shots and editing. My parents are
working on weekdays but they’re
available on weekends and somewhat
available on Monday’s and Tuesdays.

7. Personnel
Cast: Like my team, my cast also is
comprised of me and my parents,
we must portray many different
character roles. I don’t need
external performers because I have
arranged which person will portray
what character, but if I have the
chance to recruit college students
or performers, that’ll help me with
the actor gap. My parents are
available on weekends when
they’re not working, and If I use
external actors, I’ll have to learn
when they’re available when the
opportunity arises. Most of the
project will take place in my house,
but my parents can drive our car
for transport and if I use external
actors, they can take the bus.

8. Props/Costume/etc
Clothes: While this project may take
inspiration from slasher films of the late
1970s or early 80s, it’s going to be set in the
modern day, so I’m going to make my victims
wear modern clothes while the slasher,
Blanc Face, wears all blue with a hood. These
clothes will still represent the character
stereotypes my actors will play e.g.: a nerd
will wear glasses, or the bad girl will wear
revealing clothes, Blanc Face will wear bland
clothes over the body but have an iconic
mask hiding his face. I can use my vast
collections of masks combined with other
clothes for Blanc Face’s costume, I’ll get most
of my costumes (mostly the victim's attire)
from wardrobes and drawers from my house.

9. Props/Costume/etc
Weapons: The melee weapons wielded by the slasher will
mostly be knives but there will still be a different variety
of weapons that are used for killing even if that wasn’t the
purpose they were made for. Most the weapons will be
made of plastic or foam to not cause injury, but for the
weapons that aren’t made of nonlethal substances will
have to be used carefully to not injure anyone. I can use
the fake weapons from my past films for this project which
I’ll take from my garage, I will also borrow tools and
gardening equipment from the same place or elsewhere in
my house.
Gory Practical Effects: This last point will be hard to
accomplish because me or my team aren’t experienced in
gory practical effects. We’ll have to use the internet to
learn how to make gory practical effects (e.g.: fill a balloon
full of blood to make an exploding head) or I could get
help from the college art group to make gory practical
effects for me, if all else fails I can use my endless supply
of fake blood to make the most convincing effects. I can
get the resources to make the gory practical effects from
the art group, buy them from the internet or the local
costume shop in town and I have a good supply of fake
blood.

10. Music/Sound Effects
I plan to add music to enhance the
suspense and tension of my film
based on my research of slasher
films such as Friday the 13th with its
well-known ki ki ki ma ma ma sound.
I have planned the music of each
scene as well as using appropriate
sound effects based on my research
such as the sound used for the
Commission of Information's public
service announcements. I plan to
edit the sound effects and music into
my filming so it doesn’t impact the
dialogue or other sounds. I will also
review during editing and get
feedback on whether the sounds
and music are appropriate and too
loud for the scene or need to be
edited.

11. Visual Planning

12. Script

13. Story
Board
a wall

14. Shot List
Shot List on Wix

15. Organisational
Planning

16. Schedule
Date Location Cast/Crew Activity Notes
18-26 of
March
Fulford: My house
Askham Bar: York College
Me and My
Parents
Filming and
Editing Project
27 of
march
to 2 of
April
Fulford: My house
Askham Bar: York College
Me and My
Parents
Filming and
Editing Project
3-9 of
April
Fulford: My house
Askham Bar: York College
Me and My
Parents
Filming and
Editing Project
12-14 of
April
Askham Bar: York College Me Editing and
Evaluating
Project
Editing may be
finished before
Evaluating
19-21 of
April
Askham Bar: York College Me Editing and
Evaluating
Project
Evaluating may
include tutor as
crew

17. Health and Safety
Potential Issue How will the issue be
avoided?
Equipment I will make sure the equipment is safely
set up and working before production.
Costumes I will get costumes that are easy to wear
and worn in a private place before
production starts.
Filming set I will make sure everything in my house is
clean and stable for production.
People getting in the way I will go early in the morning or late at night
to an isolated place to film.
Making Practical Effects I will either get the make-up department
to make some for me or I’ll buy safe ones.
Time of Day I will check the weather to make sure it’s
not too dark or cold when we’re filming.