The Making Of:
LIMPY
My Experience Of Directing
The Importance Of A Director
The Director is hired by the Producer on a particular project and it's their responsibility to bring the project to life in their own way. The are responsible for everything that happens in the film as well as making sure that the producers desires are met. This is their creative vision and they need to make clear and detailed instuctions in order to let everyone know exactly what they're doing in oder to bring their vision to life.
It is my beleif that the director should have knowledge in every department, not to be skilled in ever department but to know what every department is capable of, the limitation and restrictions as well as trusting the head of each department they they are more skilled in their department than you and therefore know better Trusting the head of each department to bring your vision to life.
Directors are known for having their own unique flare to make each of their projects stand out. It could be a cameo appearance to a visual technique or a camera angle the admire. It's usually a staple that is used in each one of the directors projects that allows the audience to recognise their work. A Director usually discovers their technique after having directed a few pieces first, however having been Cinematographer on Once Upon A Time and Black Adder already i did discover that i enjoyed filming One Shots and Tracking Shots. Having one continuous shot with the camera constantly moving. I point these shots out every time i see one in film and i'm a huge fan of them, even if they are digitally stitched together at times. So i started incorporating them into Black Adder and Once Upon A Time and i would like to incorporate them into my pieces further. I would also like to attempt a slow spiralling zoom where the camera slowly moves forwards while slowly rotating around. It just seems like a visually interesting shot. But i guess I will learn more about my directing style after officially having directed some pieces in future.
Job Roles In Film And On Set
Producer
A Producer oversees all aspects of a production. They are the starting point of everything. They raise investment from backers, find the venue, hire the creative team and have a say in casting and design. They're responsible of making sure that everything's organised and ready for day of filming.
Executive Producer
The Executive Producer mostly acquire screenplays for development. They pitch ideas to the TV commissioners and deal with the legal, financial, and marketing aspects of the TV series. They are the spokesperson for the production and have the final say. The extent to which they're involved in the production itself varies. They are the ones who make sure that the project happens, usually by acquiring the necessary funding.
Artistic Director
The Artistic director develops and oversees the implementation of the artistic vision and focus of a production and often the overall programme presented by a theatre. An Artistic Director will oversee the programme for the theatre as well as manage funding, budgets and staff
Managing Director
The Managing Director is responsible for management oversight of the organization including design and implementation of all fundraising and development (audience and donor) activities; supervising all non-artistic staff; and working collaboratively with the Producing Artistic Director to ensure the financial integrity and accountability of the organization. The Managing Director works in partnership with the Producing Artistic Director to provide the vision and leadership necessary for fulfilling the mission of the organization.
Director
The Director may be a permanent member of a theatre's staff or a freelancer hired for an individual show. This person conceives, develops and implements the artistic vision for the specific performance in collaboration with designers from the different departments.
Assistant Director
The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of the health and safety of the crew, in recent years covid offers were hired to maintain covid regulations were being met by all members of production. Their job basically is to makes sure time schedules are met and that everything's organised on the day of recording.
Cinematographer
Also called directors of photography, cinematographers work with directors and film crews to create important visual effects for film and TV. They read through screenplays and choose appropriate lighting, angles, framing, and filters to create the mood of the film. They’re job is to create the Director’s vision on film then expand upon it. Responsible for managing camera crews and lighting crews, they oversee the selection and manipulation of technical equipment to create striking images on screen. The visual impact of a film is driven by the creative choices a cinematographer makes. They are in charge of the VFX artists as well if necessary, in order to make truly cinematic visuals for film but this is usually only the case when working with blue/ green screens. If this happens they would work with the Visual effects supervisor. Despite cinematographers having a lot of creative freedom in film, at the end of the day they must work under the Director and make the visuals they want.
Camera Operator
Camera operators physically control camera equipment both in studio and on location for film, television and video broadcasts and recordings. Most camera operators enter the profession as trainees, assistant camera operators or 'runners'. They come under the thumb of the director and cinematographer to shoot the angles and shots required. They must lean the various camera techniques and tricks in order to shoot the shots that are required for the scene.
Camera Assistance
This can include labelling tape and materials as they're used, setting up camera rigs or making teas and coffees for the rest of the camera team. They carry the cameras for transport around and are responsible for replacing lenses, batteries or film when needed.
Photographers
Photographers are people who take professional pictures of the main actors for the promotional material, usually for character posters and for the main posters. Photographers are also used for Actors headshots for them to use in their portfolios in auditions.
Screen Writers
A screen writers job is to simple write the script. To create the story and the characters, but there’s a little more to it than just being able to tell a story through written words. Writing for film is much more difficult than writing a novel as you must include dialogue, stage directions, camera angles, lighting ques and sometimes even choreography. To add to it, they also have to communicate with the Story Boarders, Directors and Producers and take on board their notes and changes they may have in order to create the story they want to make. They have to stick to their given brief and work on very tight deadlines. Additionally they are also responsible for all the research done for the play as well as coming up with the character list for actors to be able to audition for.
Story Boarders
Storyboard artists help the head of story create a visual representation of the animation's narrative. Storyboard artists translate the script and the director's vision into pictures. They produce a series of panels of images to plan the shots and ensure continuity between them. They turn scenes in the script into comic book styled drawings in order to give basic ideas of camera angles, locations and looks of the characters. This gives the producers and directors a rough idea of what the story will look like before they start filming. This is also when most changes to the scripts are made in which the screen writers and story board artists will make those changes and present them again.
Concept Artists
As a concept artist, you'll need to: create quick and detailed drawings and paintings of environments, characters, buildings, vehicles and props (including creation of thumbnails and wireframes) use traditional and technological approaches to create designs in 2D and 3D through drawing and painting.
Animators
An animator produces multiple images called frames, which when sequenced together create an illusion of movement, this is known as animation. The images can be made up of digital or hand-drawn pictures, models or puppets. Animators tend to work in 2D, 3D model-making, stop-frame or computer-generated animation. An animator doesn’t need to work on just a cartoon but CGI characters or creatures in live action movies are needed to be animated over motion capture suits or an animated skeleton is needed to add the creature in post production.
Illustrators
Illustrators convey ideas, facts and feelings using the technical skills of painting and drawing and their own creativity. They work to commercial briefs to inform, persuade or entertain the client's target audience, adjusting the mood and style of images accordingly. Illustrators are used in cartoons to for making backgrounds for as well as concept art.
Lighting Designer
A Lighting Designer will work with the Director, Artistic Director and/or Lighting Technicians to create the visuals for lighting, lasers, strobes, spots and sometimes video screens for a performance.
Gaffers/ Grips
Gaffers and Grips Gaffers work closely with the director of photography to bring to life the overall look of a film by creating and controlling light. They work to understand the desired light effects and figure out how to achieve them. Directors think of the artistry of the shots, grips work out how they are going to move the cameras to make that happen. They set up the lighting and camera equipment rigs and test to make sure everything's working.
Sound Recordist/ Designer
A key member of the production audio crew in the film and television industries, the boom operator assists the production sound mixer on set by operating boom microphones, selecting and placing radio microphones, and maintaining the audio equipment. They will have to hold the microphone directly above the actor in order to get the best audio for several takes, this would require great arm strength in order to hold the microphone steady for long periods of time over multiple days of filming. Additionally they have to work with the camera crew in order to make sure that their boom mic cannot be seen of film, and if it is then they must readjust to get the same quality of audio without being seen.
Sound Mixers
Sound mixers head up the department responsible for all the sound recorded during filming. This is predominantly dialogue but can include sound effects and atmosphere. Before shooting starts, they meet with the producer and director to discuss the best method of capturing sound alongside the director's shooting style.
Composer
Composer writes original music to help tell a story or convey atmosphere and emotions. They may write music for voices and instruments to perform, or it may involve electronic and digital tools. For traditional plays, a Composer would write the music that underscores the production.
Musicians
Performing musicians may work alone or as part of a group, or ensemble. They may play before live audiences in clubs or auditoriums, or they may perform on television or radio, in motion pictures, or in a recording studio. They are skilled in a particular instrument and follow the conductor and composer to play the music written.
Audio Editors
A Sound Editor creates the soundtrack by cutting and synchronizing to the picture, sound elements, such as production wild tracks, dialogue tracks, library material and foley in analog or digital form and presents these to the re-recording mixer for final sound balance. They have to combine sound effects, the composed music or pop culture music chosen by the directors and producers and make sure all sound is evenly balanced throughout the film so everything can be heard.
Visual Editors
A Video Editor is a professional who is responsible for taking the raw footage shot by a film crew and director, then turning it into one cohesive video or film. The Video Editor must follow an outline and script and any special instructions given about what should happen in each scene. They need to incorporate the shots done by the VFX artists as use appropriate transitions as desired by the cinematographer and director.
Costume Designer
A Costume Designer is the person responsible for designing the costumes for a production, making sure they match the time period, style and Director's vision for the piece, as well as being practical for the Performer
Drapers
A draper usually works on fashion designs or costumes for theatre and films. Typically, a draper works with the sketches of a fashion or costume designer, creating the outfits by draping the clothing over a form.
Stitchers
Stitcher (sewer, seamstress, costume builder) A stitcher works on the actual construction of the costumes. Sews assigned costumes by hand or machine. Maintain clean and safe workspace. Assist in fitting, stitching, or other assigned costume duties. Maintain and alter costumes as assigned.
Hair and Makeup Artist
In theatre the makeup Artists oversee Performer's hair and make-up throughout the run of a production, working closely with the Wigs, Hair and Make-Up Designer and the Costume Designer. They may also be required to make actors look bloodied, scared or wounded within scenes. They would need to work with materials such as fake blood and latex to crate the desired look. Makeup artists would also have to keep in consideration actors’ allergies and make sure that the actors don’t have an allergic reaction to prosthetics used as well as having alternative materials to use instead.
Marketing Staff
The marketing manager's role is to promote and sell tickets. To do so, they manage all aspects of the theatre's publicity and advertising material which includes fliers, posters, press adverts, brochures, newsletters, websites, trailers and social media.
Props Masters
They are responsible for all props in the production—that includes acquiring them, keeping them organized, and making sure they're used safely. To do this, the props master leads a team of prop makers or props-department runners, and reports to the production designer. The prop master works with the artistic director to know what they want the props to look like as well as the director to know what props are used in which scene by which character and when. When the show is finished, they return of all hired props and organise the sale or safe disposal of everything else.
Prop Artists
Where props are to be made, prop masters recruit the carpenters, artists and prop makers and manage the schedule for production. Where they are hired, they work with the prop masters to get an understanding of what props to make and the time they have to make them.
Visual Effects Supervisor
VFX supervisors are in charge of the whole VFX project. They manage the VFX pipeline, including all of the VFX artists that work in this process. They have ultimate responsibility for all of the VFX elements produced for a project by their company or studio. They get the say on what can be done practically and what can be done digitally and what is the best technique for each effect. They can advise on what is best to the Director then have to make the Director’s choice possible. They are in charge of Practical and VFX artist in making sure that everything looks as designed.
VFX Artists
VFX artists create photoreal, digitally-generated imagery. The role requires the seamless integration of these effects into live action in feature films, television and, increasingly, online and console gaming. VFX artists use the latest technology to produce computer-generated creatures, crowds and stunt doubles. What can’t be done practically (either being too dangerous or expensive) can be done digitally. It’s more cost effective for a production however requires a lot of time and skilled individuals to pull off great looking VFX. The problem is that the slightest thing wrong can cause an entire shot to look fake and therefore the audience will be taken out of the shot.
Special Effects Artist
Special effects artists create mechanical effects that can be used in films or television shows. Practical effects can be from model making and sculpture work, to engineering and robotics, to puppeteering. Each one would require a different specialist and the Visual Effects Supervisor would contact the people specialised in that particular effect required for the shoot. They would need to follow the concept art provided to make their effects. They also need the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
Location Scout
The role of the location scout is to find location available for all of the actors, directors and crew that match the settings described in the script and concept art. This can be from buildings to forests, beaches to streets. A location scout travels the world to find suitable locations and takes pictures of locations and sends them to the director. Once they have confirmation from the director the location scout arranges dates, times and prices to be able to book out a location for filming. A location scouts job is usually done before filming finishes.
Scene/Set Designer
A Set Designer creates the look of a set for a theatre production. Their role is a combination of creativity and practicality as they must create not only the design but also make it come to life alongside a team.
Journeyman Painters
A Journeyman Painter specializes in painting walls and other surfaces according to project needs. Aside from applying paint, a journeyman painter is also responsible for cleaning and scraping off the dirt to prepare the painting procedures, identify client preferences, select equipment, and technique, and apply other finishes. They must also monitor their supplies and maintain the cleanliness of their work areas.
Carpenters
Carpenters are in charge of all woodwork done in a production. Props and staging. They are vital for the construction of set and large and small props. They often make multiple of the same exact set and props in case between shows or during a show the set or props are damaged or lost.
Choreographer
A Choreographer creates original dance movements and routines for performances and productions. They also develop different interpretations of existing dances for an individual dancer or group of dancers; the chorus.
Stunt Coordinator
Also known as the head of stunts, a stunt coordinator plans and oversees dangerous scenes and highly skilled movements on movie and TV sets. They choreograph complex movements and ensure that everyone on set remains safe. In general, they are responsible for making action scenes look realistic.
Stunt Performer
Stunt performers are involved in the performance of stunts for television, film and other productions. They study scripts, plans and other detailed documents to work out the best way to undertake a stunt, rehearse stunts with safety gear, and perform stunts in front of cameras or audiences. They are usually used in fight scenes to replace the main actor and to make the, look good although they don’t get the recognition of the main actors. The reason this is done rather than teaching the actors the stunts is because if a main actor is injured during a stunt then the whole production is halted but if a stunt actor is injured they can be paid and replaced for further production.
Cast
The cast is an actor, singer or dancer who was chosen for a particular role. Their job is to memorise their script, lyrics or choreography and remember all their ques. They must create a character around the script they have been given and bring the directors vision to life. In theatre the cast are the bottom of the hierarchy.
Roboteer
A roboteer are the people licensed to operate robots efficiently and professionally on set. The robotic mechanics could the face of a costume, a piece of moving machinery on set or perhaps it’s an actual robot for the actors to interact with. If it requires a complex remote then it requires a roboteer to operate it.
Puppeteer
Much like a roboteer, a puppeteer is someone specialised in puppet moving. They are able to bring expressive movements to the puppets in order to bring them to life. They are different from ventriloquists as they don’t have to be able to make the puppet talk without using their lips, just to be able to make the puppet feel alive on set. Much like working with robots, voice actors can be overlayed and added in after if necessary.
On Set Assistance
A on set assistant's tasks can and often vary from day to day. Generally, they are responsible for printing and distributing scripts, running errands for Directors and Producers and relaying messages between other members to ensure everything runs smoothly from start to finish. But most of the time they’re taking food and coffee orders.
Line Readers
Line readers are people who sit behind camera and follow along with the script as the actors perform. If the actors forget their lines, they are the ones to tell it to them so they can re-take or continue the shot. The allow the production to run smoothly without having the actors run off to check their own scripts. Sometimes line readers are required to read out the lines of actors who aren’t available or not on set. This is usually done in close ups shots when the other actors aren’t seen and therefore the audio of the line reader can be removed in post production by the audio editors.
Who Will You Find On A Film Set?
Me As A Director
From Writer, To Actor, To Cinematographer, To Director
I started off as a writer writing short stories and even books that i plan to be published one day. I loved writing dynamic characters and creating fantasy worlds for them in interact in. From this writing came my desire to be the characters in the stories which is where my passion for acting came from.
So as a actor I would act out scenes and situations to help write the script, from dialogue to choreography. Being an actor really helps to get into character and make up dialogue scenes with other actors or even just myself playing both parts. I loved acting with my friends with the comedy sketches i would write and from my love of acting and watching films i found a desire for learning about the making of films. Watching the behind the scenes and how things are made. Documentaries and Director and actor interviews were so fascinating to me.
Then I was requested to be cinematographer in productions of once upon a time and black adder where I started to enjoy being behind the camera and discovering cinematic way to record a scene. I enjoyed dynamic camera movements and harsh angles to invoke feeling of power or of weakness within the fight scene of once upon a time. In black adder the use of sharp editing and close ups of reactions allowed for good comedic timing for some of the lines. And I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to give it a go myself.
So now I'm going to direct my own short films. Having come from these different background, I know how to act and therefore I can write my own stage direction in the script, and I can also demonstrate how I as an actor would do a particular scene by acting it out to them so the actors have a clear understanding of what I would like them to do. However I respect actors that come up with their own interpretations of the character and if they do something they feel would suit their character better then I'm all down t record it both their way mine and then afterwards compare to see which one makes for a better shot. Additionally I know what camera and lighting techniques can better tell a story through visuals. Although I haven’t had much work with lighting, I do have ideas on what I would like to use in coming films. But as a director I must trust each department that they know better.
I plan on directing a horror and an action short film. I chose to do a horror because I wanted to see if I could pull it off. Horrors can be both extremely easy and difficult to pull off, especially on a small budget, mainly due to its genetic makeup being so closely similar to comedy. Comedy and horror can be both long pauses of silence leading up to a large sound or action with the difference being the context and the tone. That’s why there are so many comedic horror out there. So it’s hard to balance however if taken seriously I think my film could potentially scare some people. I plan on keeping the feeling of suspense and unease throughout the runtime of the film right up to the very end. It seems like an impossible thing to do however with how short the film will be coupled with the script and sound design I think I can do it. I chose an action film purely because I wanted to step back into he role of choreographer again and do some more fight scenes., but also because I wanted to do a fight scene on film myself. It’s something I've always wanted to do on stage or film and there is no better opportunity than in something I direct. The action has a lot more dialogue compared to the horror and will be twice as long. It is the project I'm most excited for yet most anxious about as we have never done anything in the action spy genre before so it will be a constant learning experience throughout.
Student Film Logos
LIMPY and One Last Shot
The Begining
LIMPY
Synopsis
Tim gets a mysterious letter simply being a picture of a smiley face. Although Tim is unnerved by this letter he thinks nothing of it. Little does he know that the letter is actually a taunt from a mysterious new killer who finds joy in stalking his prey slowly. Everywhere Tim goes he sees LIMPY, the smiley faced masked killed with a backwards foot. Tim has been marked as LIMPY's next victim.
The Making Of LIMPY
Scheduling
After having casted the actors and giving them their scripts i had a discussion with the actors about dates and times to record. I planned to have everything recorded in one day and i created a plan and formula in order to ensure that recording everything in a single day was possible.
The plan was to record act 2 in the college first, then record close up shots of the props for the credits, after college catch the bus home for scene 3 and then go to my grand parents house to record to post credit scene, then we would go back to my house and record all the morning scenes of act 1, then wait until 20:00 for it to get dark before recording act 3 outside my house, then act 1 nightmare sequence then end with the final shot of the film.
However due to one of the main actors working dates and times we arranged to have the filming split across 2 days instead. So on October 3rd will be all the filming of act 2 and the credits will be done. all of the sequences in the college. Then on October 13th we will spend all day recording post credit sequence, act 1, 3, 4 and 5 at my house and my grandparents house.
Although the scheduling isn't ideal as it reduces the time for after effects and editing, it is good that we finally have official recording dates.
Limpy is scheduled for a October 30th release date with an official trailer scheduled for a October 20th release date. That gives me 7 days to edit a 10 to 15 minuet video which should be more than enough time however I have another project in the works during the same time and promotional material for it would be needed for around the same time. I just hope that the two projects don't clash and cause delays.
Horror Movie Techniques
There are five key elements that are used to create good horror films and they are: Suspense, fear, violence, gore and the supernatural. Now of course not all horror films use all of these elements (A Quiet Place and Alien are not supernatural horrors but still classified as great horror films) but they need to use at least more than one of these five elements to be effective. And there are various ways that horror movies can portray each of them.
Suspense
The most common thing to use when creating suspense is slow low eerie music that gradually builds up in tension as the scene goes on. Having the character doing something that appears normal but the music contradicts the environment causes the audience to dread what is about to happen, creating suspense. Of course after the initial build up following it up with a long pause of silence creates suspense to the audience as the music as put them on edge and now everything’s quiet, they audience suspects something is about to happen. As for camera work having long shots of the character as well as close up of their face reacting, looking evermore concerned brings tension to the audience. The biggest suspense bringer is perspective shots from the killer as it invokes the feeling of being watched. Everyone can relate to the fear of scared that you are not alone when you are, the feeling of being watched, so to showcase that heightens the tension especially when the killer has seen the character but the character hasn’t seen the killer. The audience feels frightened for the protagonist being able to but them into themselves into their shoes with a familiar feeling.
Fear
The makeup for fear is very similar to the makeup for comedy with the only difference being the context it’s used in. For example: a person go round a corner and someone pops out of them and scares them. If it’s in a school and the two people are students this is a practical joke however if this is an abandoned manor and they’re holding a knife now it’s murder. Lighting can be used effectively by using low or single source lighting as the audience fears what’s hiding in the shadows. The character can be seen but the character can’t see their surroundings. Alternatively, this can also be switched where the antagonist is in the spot light and the rest of the environment is dark to highlight the killer, this is most commonly used with rocking chair and antique dolls in supernatural horrors. Highlighting particular spots makes the source of the fear the centre of attention which deters the audience from wanting to go near it. The most overused yet effect use of fear is from jump-scares. The are so overused in horror and so cliché that horror movie started putting in fake jump-scare to tease the audience. It’s when all the elements of a jump-scare are there however it’s not actually from the killer but from a neutral or friendly source. These are usually used to highlight the characters paranoia but most often used to tease the audience and give them a moment of fear before the final confrontation. Jump-scares are made up of quick back and forth edits and loud sounds and or music. A sudden loud sound triggers your flight or fight response momentarily which is why they are it is the most frequently used technique in horror. Chase scenes are also very effective in horror, being followed and hunted down is another fear invoking feeling that most audience members have felt even if not experienced. The feeling that the person behind you is following you as you walk down the street is nerve-racking and therefore presents the audience in a situation where they can feel fear for the protagonist. Chases scenes usually have quick paced back and forth editing with perspective shots of the killer slowly catching up to the victim. They are usually shot in long corridors or streets to have a longer distance at which they need to run or in claustrophobic narrow mazes in where they need to both navigate through while try to escape. The moving camera is often used to follow the killer and victim through which grounds the scene in reality to make the audience feel more involved within the scene as if they’re there. The final, and most valuable, technique used in horror films to invoke fear is mystery. Fear of the unknown is the most effective use of horror as most often than not the imagination of the audience is more frightening than whatever the killer is in the horror film. Hiding your killer, only showing glimpse of it, only showing the before and after the attacks will bring the most fear to your audience than showing your killer at the start of the film. Leave it until the end of the film to reveal your killer so the audience, like the characters, is left in the dark about the whole thing until the end.
Violence
Violence is always used in horror as conflict is what us as people always try to avoid. It’s used as a last resort and therefore when something violent happens we attach it to dramatic or serious events. Having violence in the horror films makes it so that the events that are happening on screen are important and often will have lasting events on the film. Usually, a violent event plays out at the start of a film to showcase the origins of the main threat throughout the film (usually a death if it’s a supernatural horror). Despite it being what people hope to avoid in real life, there’s always a craving to experience horrific things just to know what it would be like. Horror movies is way for people to see things they wouldn’t naturally want to experience, to witness events without the horrific repercussions that would follow in reality. People like to be shocked and there’s nothing more shocking than an unexpected horrific act of violence. Now like I mentioned with fear, sometimes you don’t always need to show the act of violence for it to be effective. The game ‘Stairs’ is about a detective trying to get to the basement where there are three hostages who have been trapped for weeks. The player has to do puzzles to unlock doors to lead them further down to the basement to save them. There are a bunch of speakers all around the place that allows the player to hear everything that’s going on in the room with the hostages but they can’t communicate with them. What makes the game so effective is that there are no jump-scares or killers after the player but only what you can hear from the hostages. Each floor they have been kept starving and you can hear them discuss killing each other and then you hear them killing and eating each other because of how hungry they are. The horrific violence is never seen or displayed, and you never see the after mass either, but it works so effectively because you hear and picture in your mind everything that’s happening. Also the violence is all the player’s doing as the longer it takes for them to reach the basement the more people die. This is just one way you can hide violence but films can also have the sound and screams of people being killed while showing the reaction of another character instead or even a cut to black. Using shots of the killer killing the victim while the victim is off screen is another way violence is hidden from the audience. For a movie example think the bathtub scene from ‘Psycho’ where you see the killer, you hear them scream, you watch the victim being stabbed and then you watch the blood pour down the drain, but you never actually see the knife stab the victim. Due to fast paced editing you watch the killer go down, you see shots of the knife getting close to the body and your imagination fills in the blanks. In horror telling and not showing is usually your biggest friend.
Gore
You can show violence without showing gore but you can’t show gore without showing violence. And if you’re going to show the violence then gore is what’s necessary to being disgust and fear to your audience. Gore is used in horror to show the horrific repercussions of what happens if the main protagonist is caught by the killer. Typically a secondary or side character is killed off in the story. With gore, the more you show the more effective it is. ‘The Walking Dead’ is a great example of showing gore as we frequently are shown zombies tearing people apart and eating people alive. We are in constant fear throughout the show that this unnatural disturbing death could occur to any of our main protagonists, and the show goes consistently shows main and secondary characters being killed off throughout the show to heighten the fear further. Any new character introduced throughout could be killed and we know exactly how they could die. Gore has to be done using visual effects, either using computer generated imagery (CGI) or practical effects. CGI is very cost effective for all budgets however is incredible difficult to make convincing. When it comes to gore practical effects are the best as the actors can physically interact with the effects and the effects can interact with the environment. The fact that the effects are real trick the audience into believing that the gore is real and therefore makes it more convincing in the film. Animatronics are often used in creature films like ‘The Thing’ which pulls itself apart, seeing it done for real makes it twice as horrific. Fakes limbs and pumps are used when ripping people’s limbs off and fake blood is usually made out of corn syrup and food colouring. The thickness of the syrup and the colour makes it look realistic however it also makes in no toxic allowing actors to have it in their mouths. However syrup would clog up a pump so the cheapest alternative for pumping blood is red food colouring and water.
Supernatural
Supernatural elements are the most prominent things found in horror other than jump-scares, In fact, it’s so prominent that the word supernatural is now associated with genre of horror. The reason that supernatural imagery or beings are used in horror is because it leans heavily into the fear of the unknown. It has unnatural abilities that are unrivalled by the limitation of humans and therefore we audience doesn’t know what it’s capable of. Unlike a human killer the characters can’t just outrun or hide from a ghost. They can’t feel safe by simply locking a door and therefore the audience is constantly on edge as it could appear anywhere and do anything at any given moment. It is great at creating consistent suspense throughout the entire runtime as there is no safe place for the main protagonist. Something closely resembling a human but that is obviously not human is the most disturbing horror antagonist and it’s why it’s so overused. Distortion and disfigurement is creates this unnatural being to be feared. The best seen use of this is in the game series ‘Little Nightmares’ where everything and everyone is disfigured. Everything is so much larger than you, people have super long arms that reach up to grab you, characters stick to the ceiling and jump down at you, a school teacher with a stretchy neck where its head chases you through vents. ‘Little Nightmares’ is the place to look for feeling out of your element and making everything feel uneasy and distorted. CGI is the best use when it comes to the supernatural because your goal is to make something that doesn’t feel natural, like it doesn’t belong. Janky renders could enhance the look of the creature rather than break it. It’s also more cost effective which is probably why it’s used so often in horror movies. Sometimes possession is used and characters proportions became misshaped. Smiles that literally stretch from ear to ear, arms and legs becoming stretched, heads turning in unnatural ways for truly disturbing imagery. With possession also comes demonic voices; screams and whispers that sound almost human but something about it seems just off. This can be done by distorting audio channels and getting multiple actors to record the same lines in the same way and then overlaying the audio files.
Sam Raimi
Horror Movie Director
Sam Raimi is a well known horror movie director having directed many famous movies such as: The Evil Dead 1 and 2, A Simple Plan, Drag Me To Hell, Darkman and most recently Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness. He’s also directed non horror movies like the original Spider-Man trilogy and Oz The Great And Powerful, but even in those movies you can find particular scenes where is nature as a horror movie director shines through. Take for instance the scene in Spider-Man 2 where the doctors are trying to remove Doctor Octavious’ robot arms and everyone ends up getting killed by them. The way the scene is edited and filmed is just like a horror film that Raimi is known for.
Sam Raimi’s work is most noticeable aspect is how well he’s able to switch between tones in his movies. Not only from one scene to the next but also within a scene to. This derives from Raimi’s love for comedy, Raimi enjoys comedy above all else and was inspired by The Three Stooges to make short comedy pieces in his youth; and that’s how he started out as a film maker. He always manages to make sure there are a few comedic scenes within his films no matter what. This is most likely due to the fact that horror and comedy have the same genetic makeup. This is why some people when they’re scared tend to start nervously laughing because your mind doesn't know how to process it so makes you laugh. Therefore a director such as Sam Raimi could find a way to scare people and then make them laugh right after. Another aspect of a Raimi film are his transitions between scenes. Even I've noticed that Raimi tends to overlay footage and slowly fade one scene into the next. He like to use various unique transitions rather than just a simple cut away. He also tends to do more quick editing during dramatic or suspenseful scenes in order to make them even more chaotic. Sam Raimi tend to combine his signature cinematic techniques with the more main stream ones we have come to know, in order to create distinct pieces of work that can be both artistic yet commercially friendly. And of course, no one can forget the most defining feature of a Sam Raimi movie which is of course, it must have Bruce Campbell in the movie somewhere playing at least one little role.
Tim Burton
Horror Movie Artist, Director And Producer
One of the most unique film makers of all time has to be Tim Burton. From the moment the first frame appears on screen you can instantly tell that you’re watching a Tim Burton movie and that’s because of his unique artistic design for characters and sets. From his animated features such as Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie to his live action films like Bettlejuice, Edward Scissor Hands, Sweeny Todd or the 1990’s Batman movies you can instantly recognise that it’s a Tim Burton movie because they all share the same artist design. Fun Fact: Tim Burton was the producer of Nightmare Before Christmas but it was actually Henry Selick who directed it, yet it was still marketed as Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.
Tim Burton uses many different cinematic techniques to achieve very specific effects in his movies. The most important cinematic techniques that he uses to create his unique style are Non-Diegetic sound, lighting, eye level, and zoom. In Burton’s films, lighting is used to show happiness or sadness. For instance, in the movie ' Charlie And The Chocolate Factory', it is shown how dark and gloomy the town is while the factory is disconnected from society compared to when Charlie's grandfather was younger, working in an upbeat and colourful environment. Burton's own aesthetic reflects German Expressionism more than any other style. Expressionism began as a modern art movement and quickly expanded to influence art across Europe in the 1920s.
Tim Burton is one of modern filmmaking’s best-known directors largely because his films all look like Tim Burton films. It’s hard to find a recent director whose distinct visual aesthetic has become so universally, immediately recognizable. In Burbank, California, where Burton grew up, he had an inverse relationship to his surroundings. Where Burbank was sunny and benign, Burton was moody, interested in the dark and the macabre. When other kids played ball and rode bicycles, he hung out in cemeteries and wax museums. He developed a love for hammer horror films and B-movie sci-fi. He solidified his own unique art style, with its weirdly elongated shapes and people, and a touch of the maudlin, the gothic, and the slightly off-kilter. He developed the concepts for a number of films that Disney initially rejected, including The Nightmare Before Christmas. He did, however, manage to produce a few works for Disney that showcased what would later become hallmarks of his instantly recognizable art style.
Tim Burton proceeds taking advantage of the cinematic techniques; lighting, sound, and camera movements creating certain moods and tones. He uses each technique to reel in his audience to the disturbingly enticing weird worlds he creates and keeps their eyes glued to the screen with his light and camera trickery.
John R Leonetti
Horror Movie Cinematographer And Director
Jon R Leonetti is someone not many people know about mainly because he started off as a cinematographer before transitioning onto Directing later on in his career. Leonetti began his career as a teenager working for his family's motion picture equipment business that was started by his father Frank Leonetti, known for his graffing work on films such as The Wizard Of Oz and Singin' In The Rain. Leonetti was a cinematographer on feature films such as Child's Play 3, The Mask and Mortal Kombat. He began his filmmaking career with Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and has gone on to direct The Butterfly Effect 2, Annabelle and Wish Upon.
As a cinematographer turned director, Leonetti knows the benefits of show and not tell in filmmaking which is the most important use of storytelling in film making. It is especially necessary in horror as discussed the element of mystery and fear of the unknown is a horror films best attribute. As a cinematographer Leonetti knows what camera and lighting to best tell the story or portray fear and suspense within his films and he uses various lighting and camera techniques to invoke the feelings of dread and fear into his pieces. Leonetti managed to shoot ‘Annabelle’ the indirect sequel to the conjuring is only 25 days with a budget of only $% million. However Leonetti was afraid of being known as being a “sequel director” so latter went on to create new movies like Wish Upon.
Behind The Scenes
First Day Of Filming
So I started off the day by booking out a room in the library where we could record the business scene for our production of Limpy. I booked it out for just after lunch at 13:45 and we had it for an hour. It was something i was supposed to do the day before however I forgot so it was lucky that i was able to book it out on such short notice.
Before i got the actors involved i started off by getting all the props out and doing close up shots of all of them to use in the credits of the film. I had an idea of extreme close up of each item slowly fading in and out as the credits rolled, i thought it would be more visually interesting than just simply a black screen and white text. People were talking in the background of my shoot however I knew that I wasn't going to use the audio from these videos and was planning on removing it anyway so it didn't hinder the recordings.
After lunch i rented out three additional laptops to use for our scene and we went into the Library. All the actors got into their costumes and they all read their scripts. We started off with an audio test with us just talking and preparing to see if the audio could be heard. Once we'd confirmed that we did a line run and then a rehearsal before doing a few takes. I unfortunately kept getting to wrong order of my lines and forgetting one particular section of my monologue which was mildly frustrating however we managed to get it done in three official takes. Originally I had planned to only do close up shots of Matt however once in the rom I decided to do close up shots of each actor when they said their one line. I think it's only fair that they should get at least a little screen time for helping in my production. What's the point in hiring these actors if you're not even going to show them. At least now they can credit themselves for being in the film. While getting them to repeat their lines, i got Riley to be a stand in of where i was in the scene as a guide for them to look at. Next we did an over the shoulder shot of my character talking to Matt's character which happens at the end of my monologue which was done rather quickly. We did the other actor's close ups first before moving onto Matt's as he had the longest and more of them. The most difficult part of the entire shoot was an over the shoulder shot of Matt looking at the computer. The computer screen was a video animation that i had made, i didn't want to use real email in a film or try and time when a notification would pop up. However the video bar would stay open for about 12 seconds before it would disappear. Matt, in character, kept trying to look like he was moving the mouse but whenever Matt would touch the keypad the video bar would pop up and we would have to record again. I appreciate that Matt wanted to it to look realistic but we had to tell him to just not touch the laptop at all. The last shot we did in the Library was Limpy looking through the window. I got Riley to stand by the door and i told him when i say "action" to walk outside the room and count to five in his head, then look through the window and count to two and then go back. Riley managed to perfectly do this on our first take and I am so proud of the shot. Riley of course feeling a little uncomfortable wearing a spooky mask around a public area and said he could hear people talking about him as he stepped outside. We ended up going about 5 minuets over our dedicated time however once we got all the shots we needed for that room we packed up and returned the laptops.
The next shoot was upstairs in a corridor that i needed all the actors to exit as if they were exiting the business room. I got Riley to record and we singled each other through the windows of the doors. A thumbs up and a nod to confirm when we were rolling. This exit room shot took three attempts. First time Matt didn't realise that he had to stay at the door for a moment before going off left, so he just walked off meaning we couldn't do our lines. Second attempt I accidently called Matt "Matt" instead of his character name of "Tim" so we had to do it one final time. Once that shoot was done I told the rest of the actors to take off their costumes and leave them in the room and once they'd done that they were free to go as all of their scenes had been recorded.
The only shots left to do were with the main two actors; Matt as Tim and Riley as Limpy. We needed a corridor where we wouldn't be interrupted by students or staff so my original concept idea of using the main hallway was not going to work. Thankfully we found another hallway to use outside the dance studio. It was the room were were music anyway for class so i knew no one was going to come out and disturb us. However the hallway was part of a balcony over a lunch hall and at the bottom of the lunch hall a grand piano had recently been moved there for students to play on it whenever the pleased. So throughout our entire recording someone decided to play the piano meaning all the audio for our recording has to be scrapped and redone. Luckily this segment of the film I'm planning on using just music but you can clearly tell when a video I silent. So I plan on recording footsteps and camera movement to use the audio and overlay it onto the original footage to make it sound more believable.
We needed to record a scene on the stairs and Riley suggested using a different set of stairs as in our experience they were rarely used. However, for some unforeseen reason, right when we got to the stairs it appeared like everyone in the college decided to uses this particular set of stairs. People asked question about our filming and I has happy to explain it to them. People made jokes as they went past and politely tried to get up the stairs as quickly as possible. Thankfully there was a small segment of time where there was no one and we quickly recorded the two shots and were done.
Our last two shots we needed to record were right at reception so we asked the security guards and the receptionists about our recording and if we were allowed. The security guards were fine with it and even joked about being the killer instead. The receptionists were a little more concerned. There was an incident that happened the week before and they were scared that people form a distance might mistake our film production for something real. So the compromises that were made were: we were not allowed to wear the mask, the mask was kept behind the reception desk and promptly returned after recording. And we were requested to use the back exit rather than the front exit as we planned. We had a very small windows of opportunity that we could use to record and although the Limpy over shoulder pan shot was not the best we couldn't get another shot so it'll have to do.
Thankfully we got the shots we needed and we were done for the day. When directing you don't always get to use the location you want and not everything goes as planned or exactly how you envisioned it but I believe you can get close enough. I think in future i need to be more thorough with my direction to actors and demonstrate how i would like them to perform before recording. Also I only remember after the day of filming that I wanted to record audio of Matt screaming to add in later so we didn't disturb anyone so in future i think a check list of things to record would be helpful. I think i need to show more authority when directing perhaps in order to not go over time again. But we did manage to get everything we needed to record done so to that I am pleased.
Second Day Of Filming
So I met up with the cast members at 12:30 to get some lunch before our day of recording. We leave and get on the bus for around 13:15, which is 15 minuets ahead of schedule, excellent. we get on the bus and we sit right at the back in hopes that we wouldn't disturb anyone. There were only a few people on the bus so we tried to do it as quickly as possible. I threw Matt and Riley their costumes but kept the prop knife in my bag because i didn't want even a prop knife to be seen on public transport. We didn't want anyone being concerned and calling the police; thankfully no one did. I guess me holding a camera in Matt and Riley's faces while giving them directions was enough for people to realise we were filming something. So it was rather difficult to record due to the bus ride not being the smoothest and although getting most of the shots i wanted it did feel a bit rushed. Which was understandable considering we had limited time before we had to get off the bus and the actors were rather uncomfortable in costume in public. The only shot we couldn't get was a shot of Matt's character looking out the window and spotting Limpy's mask reflection in the window and turning around to see no one there. But because we were filming during the day we couldn't get the shot, so instead we changed it to Limpy's hand touching Matt's seat which makes him turn around. The shot still works despite not what I original planned but you have to work with what you get.
We get to the location of Mark's house, my character, where we were to film the post credit scene. The shot I wanted was of Mark returning home and finding a letter on the floor. He picks it up and opens it to reveal a smiley face on the paper. As Mark looks very confused the camera pans up to reveal Limpy standing at the top of the stairs staring down upon Mark. However Riley was so tall that the roof of the first floor cut him off so that you could only see half of him standing on the stairs. So i made Riley walk down the steps until he could be seen and he was very close to the bottom. So i changed it so that when Riley saw me flick the letter towards the mirror that was his que to start walking down the stairs to that dedicated spot which we marked with a shoe. Matt had to pan the camera around in front of me and then up as he knelt down to look up at Riley coming down the steps. Matt unfortunately kept tripping up in the door way and messing up the camera shot by kneeling down too quickly. Granted it was a very tight corridor but we did end up using all of our time their. Thankfully we didn't go over time but i was hoping to have done it quicker.
Next location which was my house. We started with the two shots inside my brother room, to which he graciously let us borrow for filming. I wanted to film in there as quickly as possible in order to not take up much of his time or personal space. The shots weren't complicated or long so were were able to do them rather quickly. When it came to recording the morning shots it got more complex as the camera movements got more dynamic. The spiralling door was easy to do. I got Riley to stand outside and told him to count to 8 once the door was closed before stepping forward and delivering the letters. He took a little longer with the Tim letter so i spiralled up to look down at the letter too. Although it wasn't planned, i liked how the letter got stuck in the letterbox to show the letter better; originally it was supposed to just fall to the floor like the other two. Immediately afterwards we did the long shot with Matt coming down the stairs and then picking up the letter. I ended up splitting the shot up into two. Matt walking down the stairs into the kitchen is one and then Matt walking to the door and the letter is another. I already boiled the kettle so when Matt turns it on it just turns itself on and back off again. We had to do the letter shot after the spiralling door shot so the letter so in the same place. I walked Matt through the shot a few times just having him not touch the letter in the test shoots. Before shooting I had Matt watch me acting his role, demonstrating exactly what I wanted him to do as a physical representation to how and what i wanted him to do. And Matt did it well. In fact Matt did things a little too well during our shoot. Like when I told him to take a sip of his drink before doing through the water, I thought he would portend to take a sip but he actually drank just boiling water. And when i told him to fill up his mug previously, I meant just a little bit, but he filled up the mug with boiling hot water. I had to empty most of it out for safety reason. Matt really does go extra. The only other difficult shot was Riley walking in behind Matt and looking in at him through the window. But that only took a few shots to do. Again i told Riley to stand round the side gate and count to 10 before moving to a particular spot and standing still. Matt I had him stare at the picture behind me and the letter just having him look back and forth throughout. Took some time to get the eye lines and timing right but we got their in the end.
After we went out for some dinner, we came back to my house to do the night scenes. Again the first things we did was the nightmare sequence in my brother's room in order to get out of their as quickly as possible. Poor Riley had to squeeze himself between the bed and the wall which had enough space for his feet. Riley also could see well with his mask so he was taking a blind stab in the dark at Matt. Pun intended. For lighting i had my ring light on a stand on a desk pointed at Matt to give Riley some light to see through his mask. Matt had some trouble learning what i was talking about so i got on the floor and demonstrated what i was talking about as a visual guide. Once that was done we could leave my brother in peace.
Next we went outside to do the case sequence. I wanted to film the case sequence before the death scene due to consistency. The last shot of the film was the last shot we filmed because the shirt was going to get ruined and then we couldn't use it again. And we only had one shirt. So we went outside down the street to a narrow street where we filmed the chase sequence. I was worried that people might see Riley in his costume and Matt running away from him as Riley chases him down the street with a knife and they would call the police; so to avoid that i stuck a sign on Riley's back saying that we were filming a student horror film. Luckily the police weren't called and people who did walk past didn't question us in the slightest. So it worked out okay. Although we were filming under a lamp post there was still not enough light down the street so i held a ring light in my hand on the lowest brightness which was hooked up to a battery pack in my pocket the entire time. The phone camera we used was attached to a selfie stick so i didn't need to hold it in both hands, so we could have the light. We did Riley standing under the lamp post first, starting slow and then moved on to Riley's perspective shots. I was really trying to leave Riley from running until last in order to not wreck his shoes but also so we could practice safely running with the mask first. So I had Matt run down the street and he reached the end of the road before I, running with a limp, had reached the half way mark. So i called Matt back to the half way mark and recorded it in two different shots instead. Matt was fast, too fast, and although being fast is realistic to how he would act in the film it meant that in the shots there was no tension as Limpy would be left miles away. So i was consistently telling Matt to run slower just for the filming. Matt seemed to feel very awkward jogging away from a killer as he put it. Now for Riley, obviously he had to run with a Limp and a difficult to see mask on. So to avoid injuries I made him wear the mask on his forehead and have him look down at his feet so he could see the path beneath him. Matt and I were in front of him so we could warn and stop him from bumping into anything in front of him. I wanted to avoid him tripping up or off the curb. Thankfully that didn't happen and everyone was fine. When recording the chase sequence I was running backwards on the side of the road looking into the camera to make sure that they were both on camera so the most reckless and one in most danger was me. But all my shots had been filmed so I didn't care. Also I can't sue myself for an accident; actors can. We then moved from down the narrow street to outside my house where we continued the chase sequence. The only Direction I had to tell them was to run from point A to point B. Matt I told him to drop his keys at the door but directing the chase sequence was really simple.
What wasn't simple was the death sequence. Spoilers; the main character dies in a horror film. The whole sequence had lots of tracking shots in it. From moving from the r down the hallway to Matt sliding down the wall to Limpy giving Tim his mask and walking away. While we were at the door i had Riley stay outside while we filmed him frantically pulling on the door handle. That was a pretty simple one to do having Riley count to five before slowly going it once, pausing then just doing it over and over again for about ten seconds. We did a close up and a wide angle and then let Riley inside for Matt's close up shot. I had Matt start further away from the door to have him lean onto frame more. Despite not having a audio que Matt did well during his timings. I wish I had directed him better facial expressiveness wise, have him look more scared and worried but the shot still works. After bringing Riley inside we immediately kicked outside into the back garden. I told him to wait by the back door and count to ten before opening the door and stepping inside. I told Matt to jump away from the door and let me pass him before slowly walking backwards to the wall while staring at the door. When shooting I didn't realise how little time ten seconds really was so Riley ended up coming in much sooner than I originally wanted. I wanted some time dedicated to looking at Matt's scared face before the realisation that he isn't safe. so we did it again having Riley count to 15 instead. But I ended up going with the first take instead, opting to not have that pause to keep the audience on their toes so to speak the entire time. During the stab, I told Riley to stab under his hand to hide the tip of the knife from the camera to give off the illusion that the knife was actually going through. To not annoy the neighbours, I told Matt to mime screaming and added in his screams in post.
Now came the most difficult shot of the entire film, Tim's death. Now I had bought a liquid exchange pump that sucks liquid up a tub and spits it out the other end. I had a bottle of water that we spent alot of water and alot of red food colouring to get the fake blood looking right. We then spent 15 minuets getting the contraception attached to Matt, getting the pumps up the sleeves and into his hand, taping it to his chest and stuffing the bottle into his pocket. I went through I showed Matt what he was to do; he was to slide down the wall, pumping the liquid as he went, he was to have his hand on his chest gasping in pain, then he would lean his head to the side, Riley would catch it, crouch down, take off the mask, put t on Matt, Riley would walk out the door as Matt slowly leaned his head over towards camera. It was meant to be a single static shot with no camera movements. We did some test shoots to make sure it wouldn't be seen on camera. It wouldn't, great. We hit record and the pump wasn't working. We discovered it was on the wrong way round so we fixed it back to starting positions and we hit action and Matt forgot what he was going. He did the a sliding down but forgot the head tilt. We were already running over time so I just moved the camera round to see his face and nudged Riley to move. Riley thankfully got the signal and went through his actions as instructed and rested Matt head up. Even after Riley had put his head up Matt forgot to tilt his head back so i just moved the camera round to face the mask and cut. The shot worked perfectly fine, just was a lot more hastle than i originally planned for.
But filming was now wrapped up. I pack up and cleaned up all the props. Matt changed his shirt. Everyone got out of costume. All the footage was uploaded and everyone went home. There were alot more changes to plans than I originally thought there would be but went it comes to filming you have to expect that and adapt and I think I did that rather well. Riley was easy to Direct and did what was said when he needed it. Matt needed visual directing to see what I was talking about in order to do it, he needs to furril explanation to truly get hold of the actions desired. I think I was not as prepared for this one as I would've liked, so for my next project I will definitely be more prepared. Try to plan it our better, do actual rehearsals and more time dedicated to the project. But filming this was fun. I can only get better from here.