Planning 3.1

PLANNING

Production title- The Dollhouse

Submission date- 10th May 2916 at 1.25pm

Length of production- 12-15 minutes, providing I do not lose any actors (As I lost 2 actors and only managed to replace 1, my film is slightly shorter, running at a rate of 8.5 minutes.)

Crew names and contact-

• Amber Leavey- 07469929093
• Adam Leavey- 07762042656

Actors names and contact-

• Skye- 07732609798
• Leah Cameron- 07513878197
• Louise Leavey- 07977572451
• Molly Jeffery- 07772250191

Production roles for crew-

Name- Amber Leavey

Role- filmer, editor, director

Date needed- between 5th January to 10th may

Name- Adam Leavey

Role- props and assisting the fire

Date needed- during the filming

Production roles for the actors-

Name- Skye Ratcliffe- Moore

Role- plays skyla

Date needed- 27th Feb

Name- Leah Cameron

Role- plays Maya

Date needed- 27th Feb

Name- Louise Leavey

Role- plays Ruby

Date needed- every other weekend until 30th April

Name- Molly Jeffery

Role- plays Daisy

Date needed- 27th Feb

Locations used-

1 East Croft

New Road

Devon

EX123HS

NO PERMISSION NEEDED

Props required-

• Phone, in scene 1, used by Leah
• TV in scene 1, watched by Leah, Skye and Molly
• Scrabble in scene 4, used by Leah, Skye and Molly
• Glass in scene 5 used by Louise
• Doll 1 in scene 6 seen by Leah
• Phone in scene 7 used by Louise
• 8 pool ball in scene 8 used by Skye
• Doll 2 in scene 8 seen by Skye
• Doll 3 in scene 10
• Doll 4 in scene 12

Deadlines-

I would like to have all my filming completed by the end of the Easter holidays, which leaves me with just over a month to edit it all together and record my sounds, this also gives me time to request permission for music.

Team meetings-

It is very difficult to have lots of team meetings with everyone always being busy, it is hard to confirm team meeting dates, therefore I have been in contact with my actors over social media, that way I can update them all the time and let them know when they will be needed again. I have filmed the majority of my film now, therefore I may not need to use 3 of my actors again, I have already started piecing the film together and this way I can see what bits are missing or needs re-filming. As my location is quite far away, I was very proactive when my actors came down to the location, as I knew that this may be the only chance I got to film with them altogether.

Contingency-

• Resources backup - I have all my footage backed up on both my laptop and my hard drive as well as on the original SD card.

• 2 of my main actors unfortunately could no longer help me, therefore I had a month left to find another actor and continue filming. I relied too much on my original actors, I put of weeks of filming to ensure that they would be able to make it. I worked around them, fitting to their plans, and that was completely wrong of me. I have learned my lesson and I am not as happy with the outcome as I probably would have been, if I still had the original actors. Instead of using the couple that I had planned to use, My mum offered to step in. This was obviously a bit odd as my other characters were of the same age, but I managed to make it fit in by them being in the same house but having their separations.

I have watched other tutorials whilst editing this film, to help me gain a better understanding on how the software works. 

I edited my visual footage in Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 and my audio tracks were edited in Logic Pro X. I then extracted the audio footage from Logic and pieced it together in Premiere. My sounds were either taken from a copyright free/ archive sound website or they were recorded by myself on my iPhone 6.

Script

Scene 1:


(in the film) Molly: That doll wasn't there earlier? 
(anxiously) 
Skye: Oh shut up, Molls!

(pans around the room to show the characters and their seating arrangements)

Leah: (on her phone)
Skye: Stop going on your phone
Molly- You don't need him, doll.

(Molly puts her arm around Leah)

(The film ends, credits. Leah turns off the TV at the wall)
(Louise is the last to go to bed- gets a drink, she switches the lights off)


Scene 2:

(Outside shots of the house, showing the lights are all off and everyone is asleep)


Scene 3:


Louise- (POV. Waking up suddenly. rubbing her eyes and getting up to go to the toilet) 


Scene 4:


(POV Louise walking into the lounge, everyone is sat around a board game, talking to each other about the game. The room goes silent as Louise enters)

Molly- Morning Grumpy (to Louise)

(Louise doesn't communicate with anyone)

Amber- What's the matter with you?! ('confused' to Louise)

(Louise stares at her blankly)

Louise- What time did you go to sleep last night? (to anyone listening)

(everyone looks at each other, smirking)

Leah- The same time as you?

Louise- There's something living in this house!

(everyone laughs at her)
(a door slams/ creeks upstairs 


Scene 5:


Amber- (turns to Louise) Did you really see something last night? 

Louise- (snaps) Yes! why would I make that up? (Walks off) 

Amber- (watches Louise walk out)

(Louise walks into the kitchen and smashes a glass) 

Amber- (quickly looks into the kitchen) - (camera cuts back to the kitchen) - (POV, runs into the kitchen, sees a doll but doesn't think anything of it, returns to the lounge to play scrabble)

Louise- (runs upstairs without being seen)

(back door is left open, so everyone thinks Louise has gone outside for fresh air)


Scene 6:


Leah- (feels a breeze, realises the back door is left open, shuts it, but realises that there is a doll sticking out of the cupboard under the stairs, with a note on its ankle *don't go outside*


Scene 7: 

Louise- i don't know whats happened to Adam, I need to go and find him!

Skye- Calm down. What's happened

Louise- I tried to phone him last night, after seeing that weird doll, and he answered but it wasn't him

Skye- Who was it then?

Louise- It wasn't anyone, it sounded like a music box


Scene 10:


(Leah's panicing)

Molly- calm down Maya, they're playing a game, you know they can't leave the house, they're only hidding

Leah- i don't understand, this is a sick joke to play on anyone

Molly- go and take a shower, it might make you feel a bit better, stop panicing, it will be okay!

Task 1.6 3 Tutorials

Tutorial 1

Time Lapse (sunset)

This video suggests that making a time lapse during the day is much more beneficial and the effects stand out more than if it were to be filmed at night. The exposure is very important during the post production too. I have been advised to set up a tripod and use a cannon remote to take the photos without physically touching the camera. I will focus the camera on the scene whilst being in a manual mode. I will alter the ISO to 100 and F16. Every 3 seconds I will take a photo, as it gets darker, I will increase the amount of photos that I will be taking. If there is wind, I will take a photo every 3 seconds, if it is not windy, then I will take a photo every 5 seconds. When I edit the photos on Light Room 5, I will increase the exposure and add a hint of purple. I will making a time lapse of the night sky, with the clouds swiftly moving across the sky.


Tutorial 2 

Crash Zoom (dolls face)

I would like to use 2 crash zooms within my film, one at the beginning showing the cracked dolls face and one at the end to show the same doll, and her existence within the house. I will be editing these scenes in Adobe After Effects. This video has advised me to begin with a wide shot which should last for 5 seconds. I will go backwards 5 frames at the end of the 5 seconds. I will then open the position perimeter by pressing P on the keyboard, then I will set a key frame on that. I will then drag in my close up bellow the wide shot. I will then drag the close up to the very ending of the wide shot. You will then see the quick jump between the shots. You then have to make the wide shot layer a 3D layer/ perimeter. You then have to go to the last frame and bring it closer by zooming in (adjusting the Z position) When the facial features match up, then you can clip off the end of the scene (about 1 frame). You should then enable motion blur on the wide shot.


Tutorial 3

Cracked face

I will be creating a crack through one of my china dolls faces. I am looking to either buy or borrow 6 china dolls, however I need to alter one of the dolls appearance by making the face look cracked. I will not physically be cracking the dolls face, therefore I will be creating an effect to make it appear cracked. This video shows how you can create the effect using make up. The china dolls have similar faces to real life, therefore I will copy this tutorial, hollowing out the eyes, and lightly painting on cracks throughout the face. I will add some missing pieces by darkening out the cracks. Finally adding some shimmering highlight to make it appear more shiny/ glossy.

1.9 Final Idea

My final idea-

A short horror film, with a running time of between 12-15 minutes, based on the feedback from a professional.

My film involves a group of friends that are visiting one of the friends holiday homes, in Beer coast, Devon. The group has been friends since primary school therefore they are all very close to one another. Two of the friends are in a relationship and the rest are in relationships outside of the group.

They are all sitting down one evening to watch a horror film. when they go to bed that night, something peculiar happens to one of the friends, which forces him to wake up in the dead of night. After that sighting, Jay played by Charlie Holmes, begins to act very odd towards his friends, he joins his friends to play a game of scrabble, but finds it hard to concentrate and communicate. after having a small argument with his girlfriend, Ruby, played by Amelia Marriott, he storms off into the kitchen, where he is last seen. Ruby goes to check on him after hearing glass smash everywhere, to see that the back door is left open. After thinking nothing of it, she returns to the lounge, to continue playing scrabble with her friends.

Ruby gets up the next night, to go to the bathroom, where she hears the door knob twisting, to find that everyone in the house was tucked up in bed, fast asleep. So who was it? or what was it? Ruby runs back to her room, to ring Jay to see where he is, the call connects but Jay doesn't say a word, and the sounds on the other end of the call are unknown.

The following day, Ruby is distressed and tries to find comfort within the arms of her friend, Skyla played by Skye Ratcliffe-Moore. An object rolls out of no where and hits Ruby's foot, she runs up the stairs to her room, where she sits at the end of her bed to reflect on the weird experiences that she is having within the house. She turns to her side to see that a china doll is sat beside her, staring right back at her. She screams and the door slams. Skyla runs up to check on her, to find that Amelia is not there.

Skyla runs out the front door, after being warned not to do so, adding herself to the list of disappearance. Sienna played by Leah Cameron, begins to have a panic attack where Molly reassures her and encourages her to take a shower to calm down.

Molly goes up to check on Leah as she seems to be taking a very long time, to find that the shower is still running but no one is in the bathroom. Molly goes back downstairs, where she crouches into a ball, rocking forwards and backwards, repeatedly saying "this is a bad dream", she looks up and the china dolls are surrounding her in a circle, her friends didn't disappear or leave the house, they became a china doll. all at once the dolls grabbed Molly's neck and strangled her to death, but this time, she didn't become a doll, it turns out that molly previously was a doll, but you can only change once, Molly was the master doll, who created every incidence within the house.



Title Scene-
Moving (panning) shot/ establishing shot. Low Saturation, of the house.


Scene 1-

• Watching a horror film- Annabelle
• Group of friends

Scene 2- 

• Outside shot of the house
• flash of lightening, cuts to the inside of the house, shows every room of the house that night- show everyone sleeping- time skipping (paranormal activity)

Scene 3-

• Everyone is in bed, asleep. Show photograph of group of friends
• Charlie has a nightmare and suddenly wakes up. POV. Looks at the end of the bed.
• Doll at the end of the bed facing the same way he is.
• Dolls head turns in a 3 point turn, crash zoom on the girls face. rubs eyes/ lens- nothing there
• Goes back to sleep

Scene 4- 

• Breakfast time.
• Everyone is playing a board game (Scrabble) 
• Charlie is the last to wake up and join the rest of the group
• Not communicating with anyone 

Scene 5- 

• Amelia and Charlie have an argument
• Door slams upstairs *silence*
• Snooker ball rolls on wooden floor in the kitchen
• Charlie storms off into the kitchen
• Smashes a glass/ china mug
• Back door is left open
• Amelia POV runs to the kitchen to see what just happened, sees the door is open and assumes he has gone off to calm down.
• Amelia goes back into the lounge to continue playing a game.
• The door under the stairs is ajar, with a china dolls leg sticking out. 
• A note is placed around the dolls ankle 
• Leah asks after Charlie

Scene 6-

• Leah feels a breeze, goes to close the back door in the kitchen.
• Sees the doll in the kitchen, along with the note.

Scene 7- 

• Time lapse for 1 hour. Show sunset and the friends playing in the house
• Everyone goes to bed 
• Show the photograph of the friends, X Charlie
• Amelia goes to the toilet
• Door knobs starts twisting
• Amelia opens the door, expecting someone to be outside the door.
• Amelia checks everyone is in their room, to find they are all asleep.
• Rings Charlie to see where he is 
• He answers but a music box is playing and no one talks
• Drops her phone on the floor

Scene 8- 

• Amelia is begging her friends to help her find Charlie.

Scene 9- 

• Snooker ball hits Amelia's foot
• Runs upstairs to her room and sits at the end of her bed.
• Turns to her right, a doll (Charlie) is sat staring back at her
• She screams
• The door slams
• Camera cuts to Skye's face, staring up the stairs.
• POV. Skye runs upstairs to check on her.
• A note is left on the dolls (Amelia) wrist *I dare you*

Scene 10-

• Skye challenges the note and leaves the house
• As she opens the door, she instantly changes into another china doll
• The doll is sat on the door step
• The next note is posted through the letter box *I warned you*

Scene 11- 

• Leah's panicing
• Molly reassures her
• Leah takes a shower to calm down
• POV Leah in the shower?

Scene 12-

• Leah sees a china dolls hand (Skye) pressed up against the glass
• Camera cuts to an empty shower

Scene 13- 

• Time lapse of Molly in the lounge on her own, getting agitated. 
• Shouting Leah's name. No reply *a little girl laughing*
• POV. Goes to check on Leah
• The shower is still running
• A china doll (Leah) is lying wet on the bathroom floor

Scene 14-

• Lights flickering
• Wind chimes
• Branches hitting the window
• The Photograph has burned out
• Molly crouches on the floor, looks up
• All the dolls, surrounding her

Scene 15-

• The dolls grab Molly's neck and strangle her. 
• POV of the dolls.

Scene 16-

• Close up of the cracked doll (Jump Scare)

Credits

Final Shot- 

• Track back out of the door, close the door behind. POV. 
• Show the house and the scenery

1.8 Audience Research

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/DK6M597

Those who have answered my survey mainly ranged between 16 and 21, which was great because this is who I will be aiming my final product on.

53% of my respondents said that a horror would interest them in a short film, which is a lot higher than I originally expected.

a very high amount of my respondents suggested that a comedy genre would interest 15 year olds +, but second best was a horror/ thriller genre,which is great
.

after analysing this question, I feel that the sound within my film is extremely important, with the visuals being important but not as significant as the sound. the lighting is moderately significant and the props are the least important. therefore as long as I have a good story then I feel that everything else will naturally fall in place.

This question was based, personally on what my audience would like to see. It seems to be that unexpected jumps is what scares people the most and the fear of the unknown.

12- 15 minutes is the running time that I will be aiming for, based on my professional advice, my focus group and my results from my questionnaire.

After analysing my results, I have configured exactly what I will be making for my FMP, the genre, the running time, the filming techniques and the props. 

Scenes

Title Scene-
Moving (panning) shot/ establishing shot. Low Saturation, of the house.


Scene 1-

• Watching a horror film
• Group of friends

Scene 2- 

• Outside shot of the house
• flash of lightening, cuts to the inside of the house, shows every room of the house that night- show everyone sleeping- time skipping (paranormal activity)

Scene 3-

• Everyone is in bed, asleep. Show photograph of group of friends
• Louise has a nightmare and suddenly wakes up. POV. Looks at the end of the bed.
• Doll at the end of the bed facing the same way he is.
• Dolls head turns in a 3 point turn, crash zoom on the girls face. rubs eyes/ lens- nothing there

• Louise goes to the toilet
• Door knobs starts twisting
• Amelia opens the door, expecting someone to be outside the door.
• Amelia checks everyone is in their room, to find they are all asleep.
• Rings her husband Adam to see where he is 
• He answers but a music box is playing and no one talks
• Drops her phone on the floor

• Goes back to sleep

Scene 4- 

• Breakfast time.
• Everyone is playing a board game (Scrabble) 

• Louise is the last to wake up and join the rest of the group

• Not communicating with anyone 

Scene 5- 

• Door slams upstairs *silence*
• Snooker ball rolls on wooden floor in the kitchen

• Louise storms off into the kitchen
• Smashes a glass/ china mug
• Back door is left open

• Molly POV runs to the kitchen to see what just happened, sees the door is open and assumes she has gone off to calm down.
• Molly goes back into the lounge to continue playing a game.
• The door under the stairs is ajar, with a china dolls leg sticking out. 
• A note is placed around the dolls ankle 
• Leah asks after Louise 

Scene 6-

• Leah feels a breeze, goes to close the back door in the kitchen.
• Sees the doll in the kitchen, along with the note.
• Time lapse for 1 hour. Show cloudy and the friends playing in the house 
• Show the photograph of the friends, X Louise

Scene 7- 

• Time lapse for 1 hour. Show cloudy and the friends playing in the house
• Everyone goes to bed 
• Show the photograph of the friends, X Louise
• Louise goes to the toilet
• Door knobs starts twisting
• Louise opens the door, expecting someone to be outside the door.
• Louise checks everyone is in their room, to find they are all asleep.
• Rings Adam to confide in comfort
• He answers but a music box is playing and no one talks
• Drops her phone on the floor

Scene 8-

• Snooker ball hits Skye's foot
• Runs upstairs to her room and sits at the end of her bed.
• Turns to her right, a doll (Louise) is sat staring back at her
• She screams
• The door slams
• Camera cuts to Amber's face, staring up the stairs.
• POV. Amber runs upstairs to check on her.
• A note is left on the dolls (Skye) wrist *I dare you*

Scene 9-

• Amber challenges the note and leaves the house
• As she opens the door, she instantly changes into another china doll
• The doll is sat on the door step
• The next note is posted through the letter box *I warned you*

Scene 10- 

• Leah's panicing
• Molly reassures her
• Leah takes a shower to calm down
• POV Leah in the shower?

Scene 11-

• Leah sees a china dolls hand (Skye) pressed up against the glass
• Camera cuts to an empty shower

Scene 12- 

• Time lapse of Molly in the lounge on her own, getting agitated. 
• Shouting Leah's name. No reply *a little girl laughing*
• POV. Goes to check on Leah
• The shower is still running
• A china doll (Leah) is lying wet on the bathroom floor

Scene 13-

• Lights flickering
• Wind chimes
• Branches hitting the window
• The Photograph has burned out
• Molly crouches on the floor, looks up
• All the dolls, surrounding her

Scene 14-

• The dolls grab Molly's neck and strangle her. 
• POV of the dolls.

Scene 15-

• Close up of the cracked doll (Jump Scare)

Credits

Final Shot- 

• Track back out of the door, close the door behind. POV. 
• Show the house and the scenery

Task 1.5 SWOT

I have several strengths which I feel I will be able to portray within this project. I am resilient, I persevere, I am good at working with a team, I respond well to feedback, I am good at editing, I am independent, I am focused and I am driven to succeed. I have a few weaknesses which include time management, holding the camera still when i'm not using a tripod and being able to plan everything in an structured way. My strongest skill is being able to edit, however this will be a good opportunity to improve my editing skills. I would like to try out a double exposure effect so this will also be a good chance to try this. My personal threats would include vulnerability, and having too much work, which i will split up into separate tasks to make it easier and clearer to understand, and not being able to manage time correctly, therefore splitting the tasks up will help me to handle my time better too.

Within this project, my strengths including being able to use a selection of cameras and editing them together in a ordered sequence. The weaknesses which I will encounter within this project could be, getting the lighting right and making the sounds appear professional.
My opportunities within this project would be to work on my editing, directing and filming skills. This will also be a good opportunity for me to use logic to create professional sounds. I will also be using multiple cameras to film my FMP, so it will be a good opportunity to edit between the different camera angles.


threats-