Mock-ups for the Film Poster & Film Magazine Front Cover

Characters Names & Film Title

Characters Names
A characters name can reveal a lot about their persona and so it is vital that I select appropriate names that are suitable of the era and representative of the characters personalities.

Potential Names for the Protagonist:

Fern

Penelope
Hazel
Florence
Alice
Grace

Evelyn
Rose, Rosaline, Rosalie

Lillian

I have chosen to name my main character Evelyn as it has a lady-like, feminine gentleness to it, but it also contains an essence of strength with its inclusion of the letter ‘V’.

The Ghost of the Girl:

Robin White

I am very fond of the name Robin for its obvious connotations with birds and associations with the concept of freedom. It fits the narrative as the protagonist must solve the solution of the ghosts traumatic past and set her spirit free. I like how the name contradicts this character in the beginning, as at first she is seen to be this evil spirit tormenting Evelyn. As the narrative progresses we learn more about the ghost and that her personality resembles that of a sweet, chirpy, beautiful little bird.

The surname was chosen simply because it represents the innocence and purity of her character. The colour white also has connotations with religion.

Potential Names for the Antagonist:

Walter

Victor

Vincent

I have chosen to call this character Vincent, because the name contains a darkness to it, which reflects his sinister character. Yet, it also has a slight and subtle softness to it, which portrays a weakness to him. 

The Film Title

Finding a name for my film required a lot of thought and consideration. Initially I wanted to find a name that reflected the idea of facing your fears, fighting your demons; something that indicates a journey or the process of self discovery or self healing because it simply hints towards the narrative. As my ideas developed, I thought that I needed something that portrayed the supernatural horror genre.

Firstly I considered producing a film title that relates to a haunted house or an eerie street name as it is conventional of the sub genre, For example “Amityville Horror”, “Last House on the Left”, “The House on Haunted Hill”, “Elm Street” and so on. However I felt this root was too obvious and wouldn’t truly represent the narrative as the focus isn’t on the location.

I then thought about associating the film name with some kind of encounter with evil, to give it more of a supernatural-horror kick. Then again, the film is not a story about evil; the narrative is centred on the concept of some kind of penance or absolution for the protagonist. Instead of including the protagonist’s name in the film title, I also considered using the name of the ghost girl or maybe even the protagonist the antagonist. 

Examples of potential titles:

Involving the protagonist:

- Evelyn’s Revelation

- The Affliction of Evelyn

- The Apparition of Evelyn

- Evelyn’s Ghosts

Involving the ghost:

- The Apparition of Robin White

- The Haunting of Robin White

Involving the Antagonist:

- The Conviction of Vincent Webb

I have decided to name my film, 'The Affliction of Evelyn' because the word 'affliction' refers to pain and harm, which is what each of my characters experience within the narrative. 

It also reflects the supernatural horror genre with it's association with pain and suffering. It's an old fashioned word that is rarely used today and so it fits in with the 1940's era and the language in which they used. Also having the characters name as part of the title also reflects the 1940's theme, as it is an old name (popular for new born girls in the 1920's!) Over all I find the title enchanting, endearing and classically sophisticated, not only will it compliment the image of my main character but it's informative as to the genre, the narrative and the theme. I could not be happier with my choice of title!

Shooting Schedules and Call Sheets

Practise Shots for Magazine and Film Poster

A basic idea of the look I want to create:



Final Ideas: Film Magazine

In the last post concerning ideas for the magazine I had established that I was going to produce a film publication targeted towards a male audience. Since then, I have further developed my ideas and this post sees the formation of my thought process.

The Masthead

Naming my magazine required a lot of thought and consideration. I knew from the beginning that I needed to find a suitable name that reflected the fact it is a male publication that focuses on film. I brainstormed alternative words that represent ‘film’ and wanted to avoid the most obvious choices.

Alternative words associated with film that can be used as the masthead for my magazine:

Take-One

Originally, this name started as just ‘take’ but by adding a number to it, the connection with film becomes more apparent. I like this idea because its representative of the magazine however I am apprehensive that the target audience will fail to immediately associate it with film.

Roll

I found this name to be quite quirky, edgy and cool and in that respect it is representative of the characteristics of the target audience. However, I feel that perhaps the word is more associated with music than it is with film.

Flick

I’d like this to be the name of my magazine because it’s an old fashion term for cinema, which I find quite endearing within its self and of course it’s in keeping with the tone of my project. However, I decided that perhaps the word isn’t masculine enough.

Hot Ticket

The masthead will be accompanied by a sexed up image of my protagonist seeing as it’s for a male publication, and so including the word ‘hot’ in the masthead will add to the magazines sexual appeal. ‘Ticket’ refers to cinema, as a whole it suggests that this is a magazine that is about the hottest new films.

Playhouse

This word is also an old term for the ‘cinema’. I like this name because when you read it you think ‘Playboy’ which means it has sexual annotations, which will attract a male target audience immediately! Also, the fact that it is an old fashion expression is very endearing.

The Main Image

Inspired by the image of Megan Fox on ‘Total Film’ magazine, I will take a medium shot of my protagonist, with her back to the camera, looking over her shoulder. Her stance will adopt the poise and sexual seduction of Ava Gardner, yet the innocent, child-like expression will resemble that of Marilyn Monroe.

The Main Sell-line

The main sell-line will focus on the feature of the actress rather than the film. I’m thinking of creating a main sell-line that features the name of the actress and a sub description that explains how she has broadened her horizons as an actress, by moving away from the male orientated films. This would explain why she is featured on the front cover of the male publication.

Additional Sell-lines

Colour Scheme

Uses of red, black and greys. Colours that appeal to men as they are strong and dominant, primary colours.

Final Ideas: Film Poster

Film Poster

Image

A medium shot of the character with her back to the camera, looking over her shoulder. An additional image will be a blurred silhouette of the little ghost girl in the corner of the page. An idea that was inspired by the film poster for “Changeling”.

Name

“The Affliction of Evelyn” which will be situated along of the bottom of the page in the centre.

Tagline

“United by Pain. Redeemed by Revenge.

Final Ideas: Film Trailer Narrative

In the beginning of the trailer we see a shot of the exterior of the house, we then see the main character step into this frame, at which point we can only see her feet, and that she is carrying a suitcase. The camera pans upwards revealing the back of the woman. The camera then moves 180* around the woman's head, exposing her face in the final shot. The camera cuts to an extreme long shot, showing her approaching the house which is visible in the background. 

The purpose of these beginning shots is to introduce the protagonist. Instead of exposing her abruptly on the screen, there is a build up of curiosity as to what she looks like within the use of camera movement. Also the purpose of using a panning shot to reveal the back of the character, adds to her mystery and also reveals her clothing to be that of a past era (indicating the time period in which the film is set.)

This cuts to a shot of the 'house next door'. The camera cuts-in closer and closer to a specific window of the neighbours house, and eventually reveals an old lady peeking through the curtain. The purpose of this shot is to introduce the character, it also sets a creepy and mysterious tone, hinting towards the genre of horror.

This fades into a scene where we see the main character unpacking her belongings in a bedroom of the house. This indicates that she has moved in, but also that she is lonely is this cold, empty room.

This fades into a shot where the same room is dark and the character is asleep, we see this through a birds-eye-shot of her lying in bed. She begins to toss and turn.

This fades into her 'dream sequence' in which we see a little girl spinning around in the garden (in slow motion) on a warm summers day. This cuts to a shot of the gardener watching her from afar, with a perverted expression on his face. This cuts back to the girl still spinning and then bumping into the gardener who is towering over her. This cuts to 'reality' showing the protagonist in bed having a bad dream. The camera cuts back to the dream sequence, and there is a low angle close up shot of the gardener handing the little girl a flower. The camera cuts to an extreme close-up shot of the flower in his hand and the little girl reaching out to take it, at which point he aggressively and forcefully grabs her arm. The camera cuts back to the protagonist and she wakes up.

The next shot shows her browsing the attic of the home and stumbling across an old book. She looks through it and discovers that this home was once an orphanage. The camera reveals the name of the orphanage and the photographs of the children. The woman discovers one photo in particular that stands out to her, it was the girl from her dream. As she holds it up, the ghost of the girl appears in front of her.


We then see the protagonist involving herself in a séance, trying to contact the ghost. The camera does a 180* pan around her, and then cuts to an extreme close-up of her closed eyes. As she opens them we can see the reflection of the girl.


Then the fast paced editing begins... (these clips aren't necessarily in order, but they give an idea as to which clips I shall be using in this section of the trailer)


- we see a message in which the little girl leaves for the woman, which indicates to audiences that the ghost wants the protagonist to help her.
-The protagonist holding the photograph of the gardener and writing down his name on a piece of paper, which we see her show a man at the barracks.
- The trailer shows him in a long shot standing there dressed in gardening attire, a graphic-match is used to then show him dressed in his military uniform.
- We see the protagonist and the antagonist dancing at a party.
-We see them under silhouette lighting by the water side, becoming romantically linked.
-The protagonist getting ready to go the party, (putting on her stockings, applying her red lipstick, getting dressed)
-We see the protagonist look into the reflection of her mirror and scream.
-The antagonist thrown onto the bed, having been stripped of his military attire.
-The antagonist hold the protagonist up against the wall by her neck, in a close up shot.
-Flashbacks of the little girl dancing/ being dragged along the floor/ standing in the house drenched in blood.
-Flashbacks of the gardener, a worm-shot of him leaning over the camera (the dead girl) holding a bloody garden fork.

Practise Shots: The Ghost Child

The Ghost Child



Costume

Although the white flowy dress isn't totally representative of the 1940's era, it suited the ghost aspect of the character. I wanted a flutterly fabric that floated through the air; this will compliment her sweet, soft and gentle nature.

Hair

Long and loose curls, the dark blonde colour just makes the character appear more angelic. The pink bow emphasises the purity and innocence of the young girl. 

Make-up

The look I went for was nuetral, pale lips and contouring of the cheekbones and lower eye lids.

Practise Shots: The Antagonist

Before:

After:

How did I create this look?

Hair

First I brushed and straightened out the curls. I then parted the hair on the side and using A LOT of hair-gel, I managed to slick down the sides to create the 'comb-over'. Also, using an eye-brow comb, I brushed the end hairs of the eyebrows upwards to resemble that of an evil cartoon figure. The gardeners hair will appear more dishevelled as oppose to the soldier hair style.

Make-up

To achieve an even complexion I lightly coated his face in foundation. I then contoured the angles of his face, defining the cheek-bones and the depth of the eyes. This created a sallow, angular look which complemented the sinister approach of his character.

Costume

The antagonist takes on a number of roles within the narrative which will be reflected through the trailer and so this means there will be three different types of costume. We will experience flashbacks towards the death of the girl in which the antagonist will be presented as the murderous gardener. We will then be brought to the present, in which we see him now as a soldier; eventually he will be stripped of his military jacket, to only be wearing a t-shirt (this is the scene in which he is seduced and then killed). The removal of the jacket indicates that the main character is demasculinising him, reducing him to nothing and taking away his power.

Look 1: The Gardener

Look 2: The Soldier

Look 3: De-masculinisation

Additional outfit ideas:

Practise Shots: The Protagonist

Before:

After:

How did I create this look?

Hair & Make-up

I styled the hair using straigteners to create a naturally tousled look; using hair-slides I pinned the hair back to create a 1940’s hair style. Although the hair-do is representative of the era, it is however too youthful for this particular character. In future I shall use curling tongs instead to generate voluminous ringlets. Using straigteners was not as successful as the curls often dropped, leaving the hair to appear quite flat.

The make-up applied consisted of:

A light and even base of foundation to create a pale matte complexion and just a brush of mascara to lengthen the lashes. A light brush of brown eye-shadow under the eyes and on top of the lid to add more depth. Contouring of the cheekbones using bronzer to define her bone-structure. A sweep of blusher along the apples of the cheeks and a stain of red lipstick to emphasise the full, plump lips.

Costume

Winter Garments.

The first outdoor-look consisted of the character wearing the blue floral frock underneath. Having seen the dress actually modelled on the character, I now feel as if the pattern of the dress is too playful and fun for such a melancholy character. I think the style of the dress is perfect in reflecting the era of the film yet it does not suit the particular scene. On its own, the garment works; combined with the coat and fur, it portrays a look that is more accustomed to the season of summer.

As soon as my model tried on the second dress I automatically knew that the garment underneath had to be black. It matches the colour scheme of the outfit and is in-keeping with the reflection of the characters dark past. However, we did face difficulties with the length of this particular dress as the model I am using is very tall.

The final outfit we tried on underneath the coat included a pencil skirt. The garment would have been perfect if it wasn’t too big for the model. The best option now would be to find a dress like the one that features in the second photograph that is a suitable in length. I like the idea of her wearing a dress that floats and flutters.

On an additional note, the coat and scarf looked absolutely fine except for one minor detail. The coat itself lacks shape and considering my model is a tall and slim girl the only way to create more of an hour-glass figure would be to pin the back of the coat using clothes-pegs.

Casual Attire.

Nightwear/Under Garments.

Party Dress.



Ideas for uses of Lighting

- Low key lighting (sharp contrast between light and dark)
-Top lighting (Main source of might comes from above, creating a god-like, glamorous angelic effect)
-Back Lighting (source of light comes from behind)
-Under lighting (source of light comes from below)
-Profile lighting (half the subject or object will be shrouded in shadow, remaining half lit and visible – sinister)
-Ambient lighting
-Artificial lighting

Reconnaissance

The House

The kind owners of this beautiful 18th century home (Ickenham Manor House) have kindly allowed me to use the exterior of their house as part of my filming. This is the house in which I will use as the protagonists new home, the ex-orphanage that belongs to the characters uncle in which she is occupying. 

This is a shot of the front of the house. When introducing the house in the trailer, I will use a low angle shot like this so that the audiences can see it in all it's glory!

This is an extreme long shot of the side of the house. 

This area I believe is the most beautiful part of the house. In my trailer, there will be a flashback into the past which shows the gardener watching a young girl playing outside (the ghost girl before she was killed). The first shot of the sequence will take part here, as the antagonist stares at the little girl from behind this tree. 

I'd quite like to use this area of woodland which is just opposite the house, to film the protagonist emerging in from the dark, stepping into view of the camera, admiring the house.

This area here, could be used to show the little girl playing during the flashback sequence. I can just imagine using a long-shot to show her skipping playfully across the grass.

The Bedroom