3. LOCATIONS – PATELY BRIDGE
This is the location I’ve chosen to film the
first part of my trailer. Near where my
grandad lives, there is the old church that
I thought would be a perfect setting for a
post-apocalyptic trailer. The gravestones
are also a nice addition that can make the
audience wonder whether they were
there before or as a result of whatever
happened to turn the world like this.
Being the only building that I think shown
in any present day parts of the trailer, I
can create more viewer questions without
having to answer them.
4. LOCATIONS – ASKHAM BOG
Askham Bog is the other place that I chose to set my trailer
in, apart from a flashback scene in my actress’ home. I
wanted this to be where I filmed the majority of my trailer as it
had different looking areas that looked linked as if
transferring from one place to the other but still remote
enough to look as though being in the country away from
other people. The other reason I picked it was because it
was closer and easier for my crew to get to and other
buildings and signs of life weren’t visible, which was the case
at Pately Bridge.
5. MEETING WITH MAIN ACTRESS
Date: Friday 8th March
Time: 1:25pm
Discussion: I wanted to discuss the best time to film my trailer would be. I knew that I
would not be able to film all of it in one go as I’m using different locations but I wanted
to get the first part filmed as soon as possible now that I had finished the storyboard
for it. Since I knew this part would involve a car journey, I thought the weekend would
be best, however, I also wanted to talk about other times that could be possibly used
for filming other parts that were closer to college. I also had a quick conversation
about clothing which was sorted out on what types of clothing that would be used.
6. CHARACTERS
Name: Kirsty
Played by: Isabelle Betts
Costume: black t-shirt, blue and red
checked shirt, denim jacket, blue
jeans, red dr. martins, hair up in
ponytail, black backpack
Name: Lucas
Played by: Andreas Mina
Costume: grey hoodie, t-shirt
underneath of a muted colour, green
jacket, black jeans, trainers, blue
backpack
11. SCRIPT
NARRATION:
This wasn’t a situation I’d ever expect to find myself in. It wasn’t like the movies and books that I used to
read and watch where aliens invaded or a disease wiped out the population and humanity banded
together to save whoever was left. This was different. This time; we were the cause, society collapsed on
itself and everyone’s lives changed almost overnight. (flashback starts: pause) The cities were first to go
bad, people deciding that a failing government meant that they could do what they wanted. They
abandoned jobs, stole, and even drove people out of their homes to get supplies they could no longer
get. I was lucky to make it out into the country, away from the gangs in cities and villages that formed
between families and friends who didn’t take to strangers kindly. But I lost everyone I care about. I don’t
know if they’re still alive - they have to be...somewhere...
CONVERSATION:
[ Kirsty swings the hockey stick at Lucas, who reacts and falls over to find the hockey stick in his face ]
Lucas: Really, a hockey stick? [ he pushes the hockey stick away from his face ]
[ Kirsty pushes the hockey stick towards him annoyed ]
Lucas: Okay! Okay! I’m just trying to get into the city, there’s a group trying to get the government back
[ Kirsty looks at him but it cuts out before we properly see her reaction ]
12. SCRIPT
[ cuts in from shot of the landscape ]
Lucas, who looks to Kirsty at the end of his sentence: You know this place is going to be crawling with
gangs right?
Kirsty: I’ve got a plan
[ she gets up, having not looked in his direction and starts to walk off ]
Lucas, watching: Is the plan any good?
[ cuts to a closeup of Kirsty turning back to face him with a smile ]
Kirsty: No, not really!
[ she then continues walking away ]
Lucas, talking to himself: oh no…
[ he then realises Kirsty has run off without him, and he rushes up to follow her ]
Lucas: Wait a minute!
13. FONTS
I started looking at fonts for
ideas as to which I’d use for
my title sequences during
the trailer. I didn’t have a
set idea in my head, but
thought that something
would likely catch my
attention when I was
looking through DaFont.
I was quite sad to see that the two bottom fonts, which I was really liking, didn’t have an apostrophe to match
the rest of the text. I especially liked ‘Outerspace Militia’ because I felt that it looked worn, which would
represent how society is messy and broken, but also looking quite sci-fi to hint at other elements. However, I’d
already decided on the name of my film and using an apostrophe from another font just didn’t look right. Since I
already had planned to start filming the weekend production commenced, I’d focus on that and come back to
title screens and fonts later.
14. SUNDAY 17TH MARCH
Part of my project to film: Opening scene for the trailer – from 1x1 – 1x12 on storyboard
Location: Pately Bridge
Facilities: Grandfather’s house close by
Crew Members: Andrew Nuttall, Jacky Nuttall, Isabelle Betts, Toni Gibson
Call Times (per person not at home): Isabelle (from home) – 1:20pm | Toni (from landmark
near home) – 1:50pm
Time to arrive at location: Between 2pm and 2:20pm
Weather: Cloudy with sunny intervals and a moderate/light breeze
Method of transport: Car – Driven by Andrew Nuttall
Equipment: 700D Canon Camera, two batteries, SD card, lens cap, Tascam Sound
Recorder, Microphone & cable, headphones, tripod, reflector
15. FRIDAY 5TH APRIL
Part of my project to film: Remainder of storyboard aside from the flashback
Location: Askham Bog
Facilities: York College close by
Crew Members: Isabelle Betts, Andreas Mina, Emily Harris
Call Time: 2:pm
Weather: Cloudy with sunny intervals and a moderate/light breeze
Method of transport: On foot to location, car on return driven by Andrew Nuttall
Equipment: 700D Canon Camera, two batteries, SD card, lens cap, Tascam Sound
Recorder, Microphone & cable, headphones, tripod, reflector
16. SATURDAY 20TH APRIL
Part of my project to film: Flashback
Location: Isabelle’s House
Facilities: At location
Crew Members: Isabelle Betts, Ruth Betts
Call Time: 2:pm – 4:pm
Weather: Sunny
Method of transport: Car
Equipment: 700D Canon Camera, two batteries, SD card, lens cap, Tascam Sound
Recorder, Microphone & cable, headphones, tripod, laptop
18. EXPERIMENT
I decided for my experiment to focus on testing out a visual aspect of my film, specifically testing out some
colour correction on a piece of footage taken at college. I added an adjustment layer and started making
changes. I took inspiration from both one of the tutorials I researched and the styles I looked at in my context
research, attempting a combination the two but still looking fairly realistic. The layer made the sky white so I
added a loose mask along the hedge line and darkened that which I
think looks quite well and still looks
okay although I’m still not completely
sure I like how it looks for my trailer.
It’s something I know I will have to test
out on my footage once I’ve filmed,
though I may make different versions
too see what I prefer there.
21. CONTINGENCY PLAN – SUNDAY 17TH
MARCHProblem Possible solution
Piece of equipment is forgotten Go back for it if I realise early enough, otherwise do my best to
work without it (depending on importance of item) or will have to go
back and reshoot scenes
Camera battery runs out of charge Swap to the spare battery or come back another day with multiple
batteries
SD card fills up Upload current footage to laptop storage and then continue or if
files can’t be moved, view on laptop and dispose of any blurry
footage to make room. If this still doesn’t work, film remaining
scenes another day
Microphone/audio recorder doesn’t record or isn’t right Check recordings regularly or will have to refilm/record
Actress becomes ill/unavailable Reorganise time to film
Other crew member becomes ill/unavailable Fill spot with a backup operator, or work with a smaller crew
Weather suddenly changes for the worse See if it blows over or come back another day
Faulty tripod Bring two/get the shots freehand and come back another day if the
shots aren’t good with another tripod
Horses in the field are interfering with the filming See if they can be integrated into the film, if not film somewhere
else or another day
22. RISK ASSESSMENT – SUNDAY 17TH MARCH
Potential Hazard Precautions
Uneven ground is a tripping hazard Check the area first to make sure everyone knows if it’s uneven and be
careful when moving around there
Stone path down by the old church could be slippery Check they’re not slippery first before the actress runs down them
Step in one of the shots could be a tripping hazard Know where the step is and make sure the actress does and is careful
Falling branches from being around trees Look to see if there are any loose/unsafe and film somewhere else if so
and generally be careful
Horses in the field Respect their space and refilm scenes if they’re upset by crew’s
presence
23. CONTINGENCY PLAN – FRIDAY 5TH APRIL
Problem Possible solution
Piece of equipment is forgotten Go back for it if I realise early enough, otherwise do my best to
work without it (depending on importance of item) or will have
to go back and reshoot scenes
Camera battery runs out of charge Swap to the spare battery or will have to come back another
day with multiple batteries
SD card fills up Upload current footage to laptop storage and then continue or
if files can’t be moved, view on laptop and dispose of any
blurry footage to make room. If this still doesn’t work, film
remaining scenes another day
Actress becomes ill/unavailable Reorganise time to film
Other crew member becomes ill/unavailable Try and fill spot with a backup operator, or try and work with a
smaller crew
Faulty tripod/slider Bring two/get the shots freehand and come back another day if
the shots aren’t good with another tripod
Weather suddenly changes for the worse Take shelter to see if it blows over, if not then come back
another day
24. RISK ASSESSMENT – FRIDAY 5TH APRIL
Potential Hazard Precautions
Falling due to long grass obscuring the view of uneven footing Check the area first to make sure everyone knows if it’s uneven and be
careful when moving around there
Falling branches from being around trees Look to see if there are any loose/unsafe and film somewhere else if so
and generally be careful
Getting feet stuck in mud and falling Avoid overly muddy areas and test if necessary
25. CONTINGENCY PLAN – SATURDAY 20TH
APRILProblem Possible solution
Piece of equipment is forgotten Go back for it if I realise early enough, otherwise do my best to work
without it (depending on importance of item) or will have to go back and
reshoot scenes
Camera battery runs out of charge Swap to the spare battery or will have to come back another day with
multiple batteries
SD card fills up Upload current footage to laptop storage and then continue or if files
can’t be moved, view on laptop and dispose of any blurry footage to
make room. If this still doesn’t work, film remaining scenes another day
Actress becomes ill/unavailable Reorganise time to film
I become ill or unavailable Film another day
Faulty tripod Bring two/get the shots freehand and come back another day if the shots
aren’t good with another tripod
26. RISK ASSESSMENT – SATURDAY 20TH APRIL
Potential Hazard Precautions
Tripping and falling Know of any potential hazards when setting up, move any that are
possible
Tripod falling Make sure it’s securely stood and have someone nearby to make sure.
When not in use, fold and/or lay down
28. FONT
When I came back around to my title screen, I went back onto DaFont with a slightly better idea
of what I wanted in my head. I thought that it still needed the ability to reflect the desolate
environment my characters live in, but hint that it isn’t the whole story and there may be some
sci-fi elements in what would be the whole film.
Eventually I decided on ‘Gang Wolfik’. While it didn’t necessarily have a similar effect of looking
eroded as the other fonts I liked had, I thought that it could have a lot of potential to be edited in
Premiere Pro or After Effects. I thought that it was easy to read but still looked like it fit. That’s
where I ended up deciding that it was the perfect way to hint at sci-fi elements potentially being
involved with the slightly metallic look to it.
29. STORYBOARD
Possibly the biggest change I made was to my storyboard. Originally I’d decided to have it as a broken
up scene to not give much away beyond what would be a certain point in the film and that would be it.
But it wasn’t until I started to think back at my research. The trailers I’d researched had involved more
clips, shortening in length to build tension and leading into the title screen. It was something I realised
around the time of filming at Askham Bog that I would need to really make it feel like a trailer. I didn’t
really have time to look back over my research so I tried to do what I could do best from memory and
come up with what I thought would go well with my trailer. I ended up taking several different clips of my
actors doing various things such as running, jumping and anything else I could think of to hint at action
and plot. How I ended setting the shots up in my trailer actually add more mystery with Andreas’
character disappearing and Isabelle’s character then running and about to swing her hockey stick before
it cuts away. It adds more mystery to the characters and what their stories would be, leaving the
audience with the power to decide if he’s been captured and she’s going to help him or whether she’s
attacking him.
30. TENSION RELIEF
When I was revisiting my storyboard, I’d decided that I
wanted to add a scene to incite humour into the end of what
was my main trailer and that I needed another part that made
it seem more like a trailer with extra build up. While I did
think my trailer could have worked without, that to me would
have been more of a teaser trailer with scene extracts than
an actual trailer. I still liked the opening and middle section I
planned, but I thought it could use a dramatic build up before
the main title screen was shown. I knew that Marvel films
often had a section throughout their trailers that
involved a section of comedic tension relief for a brief moment before jumping back into the action. With the
case of the Thor: Ragnarok trailer, it was at the end between the main title screen and release date and featured
a quick conversation between Thor and Hulk. It’s purposefully short and provides a moment of tension relief and
while the Marvel films aren’t the same genre as what I might describe the Marvel films, I still thought it would be
a good addition to mine.
31. LINE INSPIRATION
When it came to having some tension relief, I wanted to be able to use a line that was
short but still had the comedic effect. What I eventually decided on was the line
between one character asking the other if their plan is any good to which she cheerily
replies that it isn’t. I knew I’d heard it somewhere before, then eventually realising
later that it’s a line in the film The Huntsman: Winter’s War, the sequel/prequel to
Snow White and the Huntsman. Featured in one of the trailers, two characters ask
Eric, the main character, if he has a plan and he responds saying he does. When
asked if the plan is good, he responds with a simple ‘no’. I wanted to take inspiration
from this but make sure it wasn’t exactly the same. With me also wanting to show that
Isabelle’s character does have a perky side to her, I had her be more happy with
saying no and focusing of Andreas’ character’s reaction too so both characters had
some depth added to them.
32. POST-PRODUCTION
During my first of production editing, it wasn’t long before I realised that things would
quickly become more complicated. Once I’d decided on my colour grading, I realised
that I didn’t like that the sky was completely white. After trying to manually changing
the colour in settings, I ended up duplicating the video layer and singling out the sky
and darkening that so it sat properly. I did one shot to see if I preferred it. On the layer
with the sky, I used lumetri colour to darken the sky to a husky blue. I loved how it
made the sky look, but I knew it would take some time to go through all the clips that
needed. This resulted in spending the next three weeks prioritising masking through
each frame of most of my shots in my production to make sure the sky was visible
and blended in with the surroundings without making a person’s face be too dark.
