P: Title feedback

We explained the two ideas for our title to a individual and asked for their feedback, and what they think is a better option...

The first idea of having the camera whip pan the trees , worms eye view was favoured the most, the individual said that it seemed like a loop of the ending scene which connotes the action happening like a cycle. And that of we had an heavy breathing of the protagonist as she is dying it will make it more tense however, contrast with the soothing ambient sound of the outside. Also, we got an idea of how we can introduce the title by having the title in sync with breathing as if the words appear and float away with the breathing pace.

The second idea, we was told that there is a possibility of having too much going on at the beginning as the opening scene also uses the same editing technique and it may all look too much for the audience to wrap their heads around, However, the whisper of "Sakkaku" was praised as it is a j-horror convention.

P: Title discussion

As a group we discussed what kind of title opening we want for our film Sakkaku and we came up with two ideas.

One idea we have is a shot similar to our ending of the tree swaying capturing the sky and the detailed branches, we could pan the camera for a swaying effect. We decided to have intercuts of the title interrupting the scene until a voice appears whispering "Sakkaku" which is very conventional in japanese horror. This is also like a loop of the beginning to end.

Another idea we have is having our character running through epping forest and capture shots of her behind trees, running. And then edit it creating jump cuts to make it look one moment she's behind the tree, the next she is gone, then she running and then she's suddenly in front of the camera, this will build up a lot of tension as the camera work and editing will include a lot of fast pace, slow pace, long and short cuts. More enigma is built as through these scene we will have intercuts of the title scenes e.g. first clip of the protagonist running and then interupts the title "A VUmagine Productions presents...". As we the title interrupts, the audience will be eager to see what happens as they would want to know what happens next. We will then end in the character close up on camera whispering "Sakkaku".

We will get audience feedback from the two so we can see which is a stronger and suitable for the film.

P: Equipment

P: Initial Ideas

My initial ideas

1- The 10th floor - Psychological and Supernatural Horror

A young male blogger is out blogging in a runored "haunted' building. He goes to the the 10th floor which is where the tale is told to be dangerous and where all the things spark off, however,  he can't find the floor as it the lift skips it and there is no number ten whilst taking the stairs. There is soon a fake scare but it turns out to be that there are 3 more bloggers in the same building as him doing the same thing. However, when they all tired and get on the lift to go down and go home the lift suddenly opens the doors at floor 10. He finds that in that moment he is staring at himself (another version of him but dead on that floor) and that the other bloggers are gone. The story then unravels of how he met his death.

I thought to create this by using GoPro cameras to give it a scary blogging experience that the audience feel like they also are going through the scary adventure with the blogger. However, not the whole film just the protagonist POV.

2- Playhouse - Body Horror 

A small girl grew up wanting to be a surgeon, that was her only dream. However, she was locked up in a basement by her parents as they noticed that she is a danger to society. One day her parents forgot to lock the door whilst giving her dinner. Her parents and younger sibling then wake up in horror to find themselves strapped up in bed all in one room. She then tortures them one by one, leaving them dead due to blood loss and injuries. She then performs surgery on them which is unsuccessful but stitches them up and then sets up the dinner table and food, while placing her dead stitched up family around the dinner table while she eats her dinner. 

3- Report 666 - Mystery and Religion Horror 

A journalist is out on her first day of work to find her a new report to inform her however, finds herself in a dilemma when she enter a rural area that holds a small community. Everything is all nice and happy as she is getting to know the locals until she finds out a dark secret. Her colleague the next day goes to the village as he is part of a group project with her. He however, cannot find any trace of his colleague and questions the locals if they have seen her and is told she has never stepped foot in the area. Mystery awakes as he is on a mission to find his colleague but also find himself finding out the dark secret of the community.

The community are Satan worshipers who sacrifices humans in order for their lord "Satan" to rise. 

R: Foley Artists

Foley is a sound effects technique for synchronous effects or live effects. Foley artists match live sound effects with the action of the picture. The sound effects are laid "manually" and not cut in with film. Foleying is a great method of supplying the subtle sounds that production mikes often miss.

R: Codes and conventions of a radio trailer

P: Make up FX

Behind the scenes footage, touvhing up on make up.
We decided to do a pale face, with dark eyes and bruises around her mouth as this makeup is very conventional in Japanese Horror.

The dark eyes can create intimidation, dark aura and connotation of evil and lack of sleep or drugged For our actor we made her under eyes dark and added a veiny effect with makeup  to make her look like she has something building up inside her or shes having an reaction to something. The pale skin can connote a soulless body, a corpse.

This is the makeup we used on our actress creating a conventional Japanese horror look.

P: Animatic Storyboard

Animatic Storyboard from Aniqa on Vimeo.

P: Practice shots

R&P: Genre quotes that influenced my decision making of Sakkaku

John Hartley- “the same text can belong to different genres in different countries or times”

-          Connotes that text often exhibits convention of more than one genre

1. -          Psychological horror: characters inner struggle
2. -          Scientific horror: patient room, experiment, doctor

       Elements of the psychological horror genre may be seen differently and status as a scientific horror in other countries, for example, in a lot of psychological and scientific genres, often the focus is on the character's inner struggle dealing with technological forces, health etc. but in another country, it may be only seen to fit the scientific genre as there is a lot of elements of ‘technological forces’, or alien invasion, experiments etc. ignoring the ‘character’s inner struggle’ or ‘health’ which supports the psychological genre key focus is the abnormal psychological states of its characters. It may fit the psychological genre in our society but may not universally. 

Steve Neale- “genres are instances of repetition and differences”

“difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre”

Repetition allows the audience to identify the conventions and stop and think, this is an ‘x genre’. You could also repeat genres but use them in a different way. However, he also states ‘difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre’ which I also agree with having the same old story line or convention can bore the audience as they will feel they have seen this type of film before, or the ending is so predictable why to bother watching. But without having this repetition or similarities it would not meet the audience expectations of a horror film as seeing the key conventions come up in the horror genre may classify to the audience that this is what a horror film should be like at this is what makes a good horror film.

Roland Barthes- Hermeneutic code- refers to any element of the narrative that is not fully explained and becomes a mystery to the view/reader.

The purpose of this to typically keep the audience guessing, arresting the enigma code until the final scene, when all is revealed and all the loose ends are tied off and closure is achieved. This is also played out in my short film as the protagonist and antagonist is face to face, and the protagonist ends up stabbing the antagonist however, this is where the plot twist is revealed when the antagonist smiles sinisterly to the protagonist looking down at the protagonist body as the antagonist is still held up, drawing the protagonists attention to look at his body. It ends up that the protagonist stabbed himself and the antagonist disappears connoting all this time the protagonist was being played tricks on by his mind as it was all an illusion, supporting the tagline “there is no end to an illusion… except you” and the title of the film ‘Sakkaku’ meaning illusion in Japanese. This is the audience closure after all the events that they had to add up.

John McNaughton- “horror films traditionally incorporate fantasy, which gives you a space to accept that this is not real, and you are protected”

-          Psychological-  realistic- enigma code 

-          Scientific- how it is real only to an extent –relief

P: Behind the scenes

R&P: Narrative theories relating to Sakkaku

P: Risk Assessment

News Risk Assessment Form

Production Name:	Film	Organisation	Central Foundation Girls’ School Sixth Form
Production Company:	VUmagine Productions	Production Team and others:	Aniqa Khanum Husna Badsha Naima Rahman Mahdiya Molika (Actress)
Outline of risk assessment Summary of what will be done	Filming our short horror film entitled ‘Sakkaku’
Locations Outline locations involved – indicate any which are hostile environments	-       Central Foundation Girls’ School Sixth Form toilets located on Ground Floor Bathrooms -       Bromley By Bow Memorial on St Leonards Street

Hazard list – select your hazards from the list below and use these to complete Part B
Situational hazards	Tick	Physical / chemical hazards	Tick	Health hazards	Tick
Assault by person		Contact with cold liquid / vapour		Disease causative agent
Attack by animal		Contact with cold surface		Infection
Breathing compressed gas		Contact with hot liquid / vapour		Allergic reaction
Cold environment		Contact with hot surface		Lack of food / water
Crush by load		Electric shock		Lack of oxygen
Drowning		Explosive blast		Physical fatigue
Entanglement in moving machinery		Explosive release of stored pressure		Repetitive action
High atmospheric pressure		Fire		Static body posture
Hot environment		Hazardous substance		Stress / anxiety
Manual handling		Ionizing radiation		Venom poisoning
Object falling, moving or flying		Laser light
Obstruction / exposed feature		Lightning strike		Environmental hazards
Sharp object / material		Noise		Litter
Shot by firearm		Non-ionizing radiation		Nuisance noise / vibration
Slippery surface		Stroboscopic light		Physical damage
Trap in moving machinery		Vibration		Waste substance released into air
Trip hazard				Waste substance released into soil / water
Vehicle impact / collision		Managerial / organisational hazards
Falls from height		Management factors  (lack of communication, co-operation, co-ordination and competence)

Risk matrix – use this to determine risk for each hazard i.e. ‘how bad and how likely’	Likelihood of Harm
Severity of Harm	Remote e.g. <1 in 1000 chance	Very unlikely e.g. 1 in 200 chance	Unlikely e.g. 1 in 50 chance	Possible e.g. 1 in 10 chance	Likely e.g. >1 in 3 chance
Negligiblee.g.small bruise	Trivial	Trivial	Trivial	Low	Low
Slighte.g. small cut, deep bruise	Trivial	Trivial	Low	Low	Medium
Moderatee.g. deep cut, torn muscle	Trivial	Low	Medium	Medium	High
Severe  e.g. fracture, loss of consciousness	Low	Medium	High	High	Extremely high
Very Severe e.g. death, permanent disability	Low	Medium	High	Extremely high	Extremely high

Risk Assessment Form – Part B

Activity– Filming Sakkaku			Location –	Dates / times:
Hazards2 List what could cause harm from this activity e.g. falls from height, trip hazard, fire, etc.	Who exposed List who might be harmed from this activity e.g. staff, contractors, contributors, public, etc.	Risk3 For each hazard, decide level of risk as if you were to do the activity without your controls	Control measures For each hazard, list the measures you will be taking to minimise the risk identified e.g. appointing competent persons, training received, planning and rehearsals, use of personal protective equipment, provision of first aid, etc.	Risk3 For each hazard, decide level of risk once all your controls are in place
Assault by a Person	Myself, my production team and actress	HIGH RISK	-       If there is any suspicious activity of any member of the public (as we will be filming in a public area) then we will move away and not interact with that person/s -       If someone did approach us in an disrespectful manner and there’s any signs of physical action aimed towards us then we will quickly wrap up the shoot and leave the area -       Also us, the production team and actress, will be act appropriately and be respectful of the public space	MEDIUM RISK
Attack by Animal	Myself, production team, actress and any animals	HIGH RISK	-       Be aware of any animals around us -       Make sure not to be invading an animals space e.g. a birds nest	MEDIUM RISK
Cold Environment	Myself, production team and actress	MEDIUM RISK	-       Check the weather on the day(s) we are shooting and if the weather is due to be cold (high winds, rain, thunder, fog) then we will wear extra layering of clothes -       If on the day the weather conditions are too cold and could potentially cause any harm to us then we will choose another day for filming	LOW RISK
Hot Environment	Myself, production team and actress	MEDIUM RISK	-       Check the weather on the day(s) we are shooting and if the weather is due to be hot (high temperature, heat wave) then we will ensure to take water with us to keep hydrated and stay within shady areas on location and wear suitable clothing for heat -       If on the day the weather conditions are too warm and could potentially cause any harm to us then we will choose another day for filming	LOW RISK
Object Falling, Moving or Flying	Myself, production team and actress	MEDIUM RISK	-       I will ensure the location has no hazards that look like things are likely to fall e.g. low tree branches, things hanging from a high level etc. -       Other people may be in the location at the same time e.g. children playing. If this was the case we will make sure that they are in a safe distance from us so they can carry on their activities which will not disturb the filming and visa versa	TRIVIAL RISK
Sharp Object/ Material	Myself, production team, actress and public	EXTREMELY HIGH RISK	-       We will be using a real garden knife whilst shooting as it is a prop. To ensure safety, when the blade doesn’t need to be shown on camera we will ensure the blade is pushed down so the blade is covered -       We will keep the knife away from the public by making sure it is kept away safe in our bags that we will have with us	MEDIUM RISK
Slippery Surface	Myself, production team, actress	HIGH RISK	-       Cold weather conditions or water spillage can cause the mud puddle or a slippery surface therefore we will make sure to check the surface before filming -       If there is a slippery filming we will make sure to clean it ourselves or wait till the surface dries if it is not too wet -       Ensure that I am wearing sensible footwear	LOW RISK
Trip Hazard	Myself, production team, actress	HIGH RISK	-       Check the location for anything that we would be likely to trip over, if so, move it out the way	LOW RISK
Vehicle Impact / Collision	Myself, production team, actress	LOW RISK	-       Make sure upon arrival to the location we are crossing roads safely, looking both left and right before crossing the roads	TRIVIAL RISK
Falls from height	Myself, production team, actress	HIGH RISK	-       When taking the birds eye view shot, ensure that the camera director is being held firmly and not to high up	MEDIUM RISK
Contact with Cold Liquid/ Surface	Myself, production team, actress	LOW RISK	-       Most likely the only cold liquid we may come in contact with is water from rain. If so we can quickly cover the equipment (camera, tripod) and go to another location where we are covered from the rain. -       If we get caught in the rain then we can dry ourselves and ensure we film again when there is no more rain	TRIVIAL RISK
Noise	Myself, production team, actress	MEDIUM RISK	-       There will be ambient sound that will be heard from just the general weather and car noises from roads therefore we can use a noise cancelation device that will reduce the chances of the camera picking up this sound -       If there are other members of the public making excessive noises we will ask in an appropriate manner for them to be considerate and reduce the noise level	LOW RISK
Management factors  (lack of communication, co-operation, co-ordination and competence)	Myself, production team, actress	LOW RISK	-       Do not be afraid to approach people if they are disturbing the production of the film -       I should communicate efficiently and without hesitation to my production team and actress about concerns I have about any topic	TRIVIAL RISK
Allergic Reaction	Myself, production team, actress	MEDIUM RISK	-       Make sure that we are aware of what everyone (the production team and actress) is allergic to so that we can avoid these things when it comes to filming and check the locations for these things e.g. specific plants such as daffodils	LOW RISK
Lack of Food / Water	Myself, production team, actress	TRIVIAL RISK	-       Ensure that we arrive upon the location prepared with enough food and water to last us for the duration of filming -       We will ensure that the location is within walking distance of a near shop or supermarket so that if we were to run out of food or water we can purchase these items on short notice -       Eat beforehand so that we are not dehydrated and have energy for filming	TRIVIAL RISK
Physical Fatigue	Myself, production team, actress	MEDIUM RISK	-       Eat beforehand so that we are not dehydrated and have energy for filming -       If anyone was feeling fatigue, ensure we stop filming and take a rest break to regain energy and get back to filming	LOW RISK
Static Body posture	Myself, production team, actress	LOW RISK	-       Ensure that we are standing in a straight posture so we are not causing the chances of back strain -       If someone does need to take a break because they have been standing for too long and they’re aching (in their legs, back etc.) then take rest breaks till they feel better and resume filming	TRIVIAL RISK
Litter	Myself, production team, actress	MEDIUM RISK	-       Any litter on location will be thrown away before filming so this reduces the chances of slipping or tripping and will not be shown on camera whilst filming	LOW RISK
Nuisance Noise / Vibration	Myself, production team, actress	LOW RISK	-       Make sure there is no disturbance of noise that we are able to stop before we start filming -       Turn all unnecessary devices off or switch to silent mode	TRIVIAL RISK